Can You Get Disability Benefits For Wrist Pain?

Wrist Pain is one of the most common complaints that people present with to their treating physicians. This is more so with the advent of technology where more and more people spend long hours in front of the computer typing. This not only results in the fingers getting fatigued, but also compresses the median nerve, which passes through the wrist resulting in weakness of the wrist. This weakness causes the individual to lose his or her ability to type, hold objects, or grip objects resulting in them dropping even light objects like a coffee cup easily. People most likely to have wrist pain are those who work in the computer industry, data entry operators, people who work in construction and have to grip and hold heavy objects and the like.

Due to the compression of the nerve, there is excruciating wrist pain which prevents an individual to effectively carry out their tasks effectively at home or at work. If the wrist pain is mild to moderate then wrist splints and braces can be used for treatment, but if this pain becomes chronic and the individual is not able to grip or grasp items, then a surgery may also be required. This surgery may or may not completely alleviate the symptomatology. If the individual continues to have persistent wrist pain despite all forms of treatment, then the individual can file for a disability benefits due to wrist pain.

Now coming to the question of disability due to wrist pain, yes wrist pain can sometimes be extremely disabling, especially if the individual has a condition like compression of the median nerve also known as carpal tunnel syndrome, but in other cases as well if an individual is not able to work effectively under any capacity as a result of wrist pain then disability benefits can be granted for Wrist Pain.

For this, the claimant will have to prove to the SSA judge that he or she has been out of work for at least a period of one year due to wrist pain. The claimant will have to furnish records clearly stating the diagnosis of the condition, the treatments rendered, and the overall prognosis of the condition that the claimant is suffering from along with what restrictions the treating physician has placed on the claimant with regard to work. 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 disability benefits for wrist pain.

When it comes to granting Disability Benefits for Wrist Pain, the SSA will look for medical records which confirms the diagnosis. The medical records should also show the treatments rendered to the claimant for wrist pain, the response of the treatment, and the overall prognosis. The SSA will also take a look at the radiological studies in the form of x-rays, MRIs, and other laboratory tests confirming that the claimant has a physical impairment because of which the claimant cannot be gainfully employed under any capacity.

Once the SSA goes through all the documents furnished by the claimant, it will then assess whether the impairment is good enough to qualify for disability benefits. If the cause for the wrist pain is mentioned in the Blue Book, which is a list of medical conditions which qualifies for disability benefits, then it becomes a bit easy to get Disability Benefits for Wrist Pain. If in case the cause of the wrist pain is not mentioned in the Blue Book, then the claimant should have enough documented evidence proving that the claimant is not in a position to be employed or work in any capacity because of the wrist pain. This can best be done by disability attorney who has experience of handling disability cases related to wrist pain.

As stated above, while one can get Disability Benefits for Wrist Pain, it is extremely difficult unless the cause of the wrist pain is mentioned in the Blue Book of the SSA. The SSA will look at the documents submitted by the claimant starting right from the onset of pain up until the most recent followup. The SSA will have their own physician who will go through the records and also evaluate the claimant to see whether the claimant is able to hold, grip and grasp objects. The claimant’s ability to type will also be evaluated. They will also take a look at the treatments given to the claimant thus far, the claimant’s response to the treatment, and whether the claimant has been compliant in following up with the physician and the treatments offered by the physician in terms of medication, injections, braces, splints, or therapy. It becomes a bit easier for a claimant to get Disability Benefits due to Wrist Pain if the claimant has undergone any surgery for the condition, despite which his problem continue. The physicians appointed by the SSA will also take a close look at the restrictions put by the treating physician on the claimant with regard to what one can or cannot do with regard to work. The SSA will then conduct a Residual Functional capacity Evaluation or an RFC which will evaluate whether the claimant can be employed under any other category depending on the age, level of education, and overall health of the claimant within the restrictions applicable to the claimant. After going through all the steps above, if it is proved that the claimant is unable to be gainfully employed in any capacity because of Wrist Pain then the claimant may be granted Disability Benefits due to Wrist Pain.

Even if a claimant has enough documented evidence favoring one’s 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 his or her favor. For this, the claimant needs to hire an experienced attorney who can prepare and present the claimant’s case in the best possible way so that Disability Benefit is granted, as the disability 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 wrist 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 he or she can to get the claimant win the disability benefits.

In summary, an individual with persistent wrist pain caused due to any condition whether it be medical or traumatic for at least a period of one year to the point where the claimant is not able to be gainfully employed to any significant degree and has enough credible evidence supporting his or her claim needs to work in close relationship with his or her treating physician and an experienced disability attorney in USA in order to increase their chances of qualifying for Social Security Disability Benefits due to Wrist Pain.

Also Read:

• Wrist Pain: 9 Major Medical Conditions that Cause Wrist Pain or Wrist Joint Pain