Can You Get Disability Benefits For Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is one of the most annoying painful conditions of the upper extremity and perhaps one of the most debilitating conditions. Shoulder Pain can be caused due to various reasons which may range from injuries at work or at home or other degenerative medical conditions like arthritis or osteoarthritis. Apart from these, nerve compression and other conditions related to the shoulder joint can result in Shoulder Pain. Conditions like a rotator cuff tear or a labral tear which can be caused due to heavy lifting or falling on the shoulder may need surgery to correct the condition. Such conditions may not allow the individual to move the shoulders fluently, which inhibits the individual’s ability to work effectively at home or at work. The shoulder Pain can sometimes be so severe that an individual is not able to carry out their daily activities at home like cooking or doing the laundry and even dressing.

Now coming to the question of whether an individual can get Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain, then the answer to this is yes. This is especially true for people working in the construction industry who have to lift, push, pull, and move heavy items on a repetitive basis.

People working in the hospitality business like chefs, housekeepers and the like who have to use their hands and shoulders a significant amount can apply for Social Security Disability if their shoulder pain is to the point where they are not able to carry out their activities effectively and their shoulder pain is leading to a lot of missed days at work but in order to do this the individual will need to first have a clear diagnosis as to what is causing their shoulder pain.

Once a confirmed diagnosis is identified then the individual will have to furnish detailed documents regarding what treatments have been rendered and what has been the outcome of the treatment. Once it is proved beyond doubt in front of the SSA judge that the claimant cannot be gainfully employed under any capacity then the claimant may get Disability Benefits due to Shoulder pain. It is advisable to contact an experienced disability attorney of your state or city in USA to help you complete the required formalities to win SSD benefits for shoulder pain.

What Does SSA Look For In Cases Related To SSD/SSI Benefits Due To Shoulder Pain?

In order to get Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain, the claimant needs to furnish a whole bunch of medical records in front of the SSA judge. These medical records should contain a detailed diagnosis of the condition. The chances of the claimant winning a disability benefits for shoulder pain increases if the condition diagnosed as a cause for shoulder pain is mentioned in the Blue Book, which has a detailed listing of medical conditions which automatically qualify for disability benefits provided the claimant meets the criteria as mentioned in the Blue Book. If the condition diagnosed is not mentioned in the Blue Book then the claimant will have to furnish records that prove that the claimant has been dealing with chronic shoulder pain for at least a time period of one year despite the treatments rendered. The claimant will have to furnish records starting right from when the Shoulder Pain started and the first evaluation of the claimant to the most recent followup. The SSA will also look for the treatments rendered to the claimant for the shoulder pain and the response of the claimant to those treatments. The SSA will also look at the functional limitations put forth by the treating physician on the claimant as a result of the shoulder pain. If the claimant is able to furnish all these detailed documents, then there is a chance that the claimant might be granted Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain.

What Are The Chances Of Getting Social Security Disability Benefits Due To Shoulder Pain?

Getting Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain totally depends on what the underlying cause of the shoulder pain is. If the claimant suffers from a rotator cuff tear which is rendered irreparable on detailed radiological studies like x-rays, CT, and MRI scans then the treating physician might impose permanent restrictions on the claimant which might preclude him or her from working effectively. The SSA will go through all these studies in detail.

The SSA will also appoint a physician who will also check whether the claimant is able to lift, move, push or pull objects. The physician will also check if the claimant is able to lift any objects overhead. If the physician appointed by SSA is satisfied with the restrictions imposed on the claimant by the treating physician then an Residual Functional Capacity Evaluation or the RFC is done to see if the claimant can work effectively in some other capacity depending on the overall education, age, and health of the individual.

The SSA will also take a close look at the medical records furnished by the claimant and check whether the claimant has been diligent in following up with the treatments rendered by the treating physician, what has been the response of the claimant to the treatments, and whether there has been any issue with symptom magnification.

If the claimant has undergone any surgery as a part of treatment, then the SSA will also look at the postoperative notes and the intraoperative findings in order to judge whether the claimant is really unable to work effectively under any capacity. Once the SSA judge is convinced that the claimant is unable to work under any capacity then the claimant is granted Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain.

Why Is It Important To Hire An SSD Attorney For Winning Disability Benefits For Shoulder Pain?

Even if a claimant has enough documented evidence favoring his or her claim, if it is not presented in front of the judge in an appropriate way, the claimant may not be able to get the decision in their favor. For this, the claimant needs to hire an experienced disability attorney who can prepare and present the claimant’s case in the best possible way so that Disability Benefit for shoulder pain is granted, as the attorney has significant knowledge as to what the judge might require of the claimant during the hearing and what are the other relevant information that needs to be furnished in front of the judge at the time of hearing to win a disability claim for shoulder pain. It should be noted here that an SSD attorney gets paid only after the claimant has been granted disability benefit, thus the attorney does all that can to get the claimant disability benefits.

Conclusion:

In summary, an individual with chronic shoulder pain to such an extent that he or she is unable to do any chores whether at home or at work effectively and without discomfort for at least a period of one year, is not able to be gainfully employed under any capacity, and has enough credible documented medical evidence supporting his or her claim needs to work in close relationship with his or her treating physician and an experienced SSD attorney so as to win Social Security Disability Benefits for Shoulder Pain.

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Can You Get Disability Benefits For Shoulder Pain