In Tallahassee, more people suffer from chronic pain than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined. Chronic pain is an ongoing or recurrent pain that continues long after the body has healed from an acute illness or injury. According to the Institute of Medicine, chronic pain affects about 116 million adults in America. That’s more than the total number of people affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is required to consider chronic pain and the limitations it causes when considering an application for Social Security Disability benefits. However, simply telling the SSA that you have chronic pain will not get you approved. Proving that you qualify for disability benefits because of your chronic pain is harder than others. This is because of the fact that your pain cannot be tested and is not observable. To make yourself more credible, it’s important to make sure you document how your chronic pain affects your daily activities. It’s also crucial to document the effects on your mental and emotional health. Without meeting a specific impairment listing provided by the SSA, you will most likely be denied in your initial application. A Tallahassee disability attorney can help you win your appeal if your initial application is denied.
If you are denied at the initial application stage and would like help from a Tallahassee Social Security Disability lawyer, contact the Law Office of Matt Liebenhaut to get the help and preparation you need for your chronic pain disability hearing.
Disability listings can be found at www.ssa.gov
For more information, visit http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm