Rheumatoid arthritis is another systemic disease that does not have its own distinct listing for Social Security Disability purposes.

Rheumatoid arthritis has three stages, as explained at the Arthritis Foundation. An informative article can be found here.

This form of arthritis causes inflammation of the lining of your joints called synovium. This inflammation causes pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and swelling. As the disease progresses enzymes are releases by the synovium that digest bone and cartilage.

This will cause the involved joint to lose its shape which causes bony deformity. It will also result in a misalignment of  the joint, joint pain, and loss of range of motion.

We often see rheumatoid arthritis involve the joints of the hands, wrists, feet, knees, and ankles. As I explained in earlier postings, it is important to establish the objective evidence of this condition since it often waxes and wanes. There will be times when you have few symptoms and little disability. As the disease continues, you will  have increasing symptoms and significant disability.

Keep a record about how your pain and limited mobility interfere with your ability to function. It will be important for you to present this information to the Social Security administration.

Rheumatoid arthritis can cause inflammation of your internal organs causing permanent damage. This can also be the basis of your Social Security Disability claim.

Developing the right information about you rheumatoid arthritis is crucial to winning your Social Security Disability claim. If you suffer from these impairments and need to file for benefits it is best to enlist the help on an experienced Social Security Disability attorney such as Nancy Cavey or Sharon Barrett.

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According to the Arthritis Foundation website, arthritis is the most common cause of disability.

There are over 100 kinds of arthritis and you would think there would be a listing for arthritis. You would be wrong!

Arthritis is an inflammation of a joint, like your hip, knee, wrists, or even fingers. It can present with redness, puffiness, or swelling and pain. A great site to learn about arthritis is nih.gov

The medline article explains the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of arthritic conditions.

Since there is no listing per se, a Social Security Disability applicant will have meet 1.02 Major dysfunction of a joint (due to any cause). There must be gross anatomical deformity with chronic joint pain and stiffness with limitation of motion. There must be findings on tests like x-rays that show joint narrowing, bony destruction or fusion of the joint.

If the arthritic condition involves the hip, knee, or ankle, you must have significant difficulty walking.

If the arthritic condition involves your shoulder, elbow or wrist/hand, you must be unable to perform fine or gross movements with your hands.

More likely, the key to winning a case with an arthritic condition is having your doctor file out a residual functional disability form documenting your physical limitations with walking and use of your hands or upper extremities. Don’t forget to explain your pain and any side effects of your medication.

For more information on Listing 1.00, click here. You should also visit arthritis.org

Consult experienced Tampa Bay area Social Security Disability lawyers Nancy Cavey or Sharon Barrett to learn more about your rights to social security benefits if you suffer from arthritis. They can be contacted by clicking here or by calling 727-897-9117.

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Do you have carpal tunnel syndrome and wonder if you might get Social Security Disability benefits?

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is compression of the median nerve in your wrist that is caused by repetitive motion. The nerve in the carpal tunnel swells and has no where to go in this tunnel. As a result, you can have tingling, burning, and numbness in your finders, loss of grip strength (which can result in dropping things like coffee cups), locking of your fingers, swelling of your fingers, and worst of all, PAIN! More information on CTS can be found here.

Guess what? There is no listing for this common condition in the Listing of Impairments. You can click here to see some of the factors that Social Security considers.

So how do you win a carpal tunnel claim?

At Hurdle 4 you must show you cannot return to your past relevant work. If you did work that required you to do repetitive hand movements like typing or assembly work, you probably cannot go back to the job you did the last 15 years.

However that alone will not get you Social Security benefits. Why Because Social Security assumes that you are capable of doing “other work.” What is that?

Other work is work that you could do as a result of the skills you have learned in the other jobs you have had. It is work you could do based on your and education.

So how do you win at Hurdle 5 “Other work?” You need to have firm medical evidence of your diagnosis including EMG/NCS testing. And you must have your doctor give a detailed statement about the limitations on you hand dexterity, your ability to lift, your ability to do fine fingering and manipulation, and your ability to use both hands.

Claims for carpal tunnel are routinely denied at the initial application and reconsideration stage. This type of claim will be tried before an Administrative Law Judge and can be won if the medical evidence is developed properly.

Order Nancy Cavey’s FREE book on social security disability benefits NOW!

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Do you have a curvature of the spine? Curvature of the spine can include scoliosis, kyphosis, and kyphoscoliosis.

Abnormal curvatures of the spine can cause problems in walking and impact other body systems. You might have trouble breathing or trouble with your heart. You might even withdraw from your friends or family because you are embarrassed about how you look.

Unfortunately, there is no specific listing for curvature of the spine in the Listing of Impairments. That means the Social Security will not award you benefits at Hurdle 3 and you will have to jump over the vocational Hurdles 4 and 5 to win your claim.

You must establish that you have physical or psychological restrictions that prevent your from doing the lightest job you have done in the 15 years before you became disabled. That is Hurdle 4! If you can’t prove that you are unable to go back to your past relevant work your claim is denied.

On to Hurdle 5! Can you perform some other kind of work? If so, you lose.

So how do you win? Your treating doctor needs to fill out the appropriate Residual Functional Capacity form (which Social Security will never tell you about and your doctor has never heard of) that explains what you can and cannot do. Does your curvature of the spine make it hard for you to sit or walk? Do you have to change positions to get comfortable? Do you have trouble breathing? Do you avoid going out?

You need to be able to explain how these problems prevent you from working. You can look at Listing 1.00 regarding curvature of the spine by clicking here.

This is the kind of claim that requires the right development of medical and vocational evidence. Hire an experienced social security attorney like Nancy Cavey or Sharon Barrett!

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Do you have spinal stenosis or a disc herniation? if you do, I feel for you! These are painful and disabling conditions.

The Social Security Administration evaluates disability claims for these conditions at Hurdle 3 (see our postings under Claims Process) using Section 1.04 Disorders of the Spine. You can click on a link to that section here.

Disorders of the spine “result in limitations because of distortion of the bony and the ligamentous architecture of the spine and associated impingement on nerve roots or spinal cord.” The impingement can be caused by a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, arachnoiditis, or other conditions.

If you have a herniated disc, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be looking for evidence in your medical records of nerve compression, limited range of motion of the spine, muscle weakness, pain, and sensory or reflex loss. If you have a herniated disc in your low back, the Social Security Administration will be looking for evidence of a positive straight leg raising test.

If you have a spinal arachnoiditis, the Social Security Administration will be looking for evidence of burning pain and even neurogenic bladder or bowel incontinence.

If you have lumbar stenosis, the Social Security Administration will be looking for evidence of pain and weakness that increases with walking.

If you have abnormal curvature of the spine, the Social Security Administration will be looking for problems walking and problems the curvature is causing with other body systems.

Take a look at the listing to see how precise and exacting the criteria are to meet a Section 1.04 Disorders of the Spine. To file a claim and earn the disability benefits that are rightfully yours contact experienced Social Security Disability Lawyers Cavey & Barrett.

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