Minnesota Disability Benefits for Arthritis

Minnesota Disability Benefits for Arthritis

Disability With Arthritis Tips

Disability benefits for arthritis are available from the Social Security Administration (SSA) if you are unable to work. Disability for arthritis can arise from several different risk factors. Arthritis can also cause several different serious complications that can serve as a basis for social security disability benefits.

Tips for Winning Arthritis Disability Benefits

1. Acceptable Documentation: Arthritis is a difficult to diagnose disorder and often requires a team approach before getting a proper diagnosis. The SSA considers medically acceptable diagnosis and documentation for rheumatoid arthritis from a rheumatologist as the strongest evidence. If you suffer from osteoarthritis documentation from a variety of doctors is helpful including: primary care doctors, rheumatologists, orthopedists, physical therapists and occupational therapists.

Records and reports from hospitals, clinics, nurses and other treatment providers are also considered in the SSA evaluation but are not enough to establish a claimant’s disability for arthritis without proper medical documentation and a diagnosis from a rheumatologist or other arthritis specialist.

It is also very important to have documentation or your arthritis disability over an extended period of time. What Social Security refers to as “longitudinal evidence”. Because a person’s functional limitations from arthritis can vary over time it is vital to have documentation over a sufficiently long period of time.

2. Non-medical Documentation: Documentation from family members, co-workers and others who have knowledge of your functional limitations due to arthritis can also be helpful in providing Social Security with information regarding activities of daily living and work limitations.

3. Loss of Function Evidence: This is probably the most important factor Social Security uses to determine your disability benefits for arthritis. Regardless of the cause of your arthritis impairment, functional loss refers to an inability to walk effectively on a sustained basis, or inability to perform fine and gross movements effectively on a sustained basis. The SSA is more concerned with how your arthritis affects and limits your ability to work rather than the fact you were diagnosed with arthritis. The key is documentation describing your pain over an extended period of time with specific examples of how your pain limits your ability to function.

Detailed information about your activities of daily living and functional limitations is very helpful in documenting your disability with arthritis. This is an area that many claimants neglect and leads to denials for their case. Claimants should complete what are referred to as residual functional capacity (RFC) forms.

Residual Functional Capacity Forms (RFC): Residual functional capacity forms can also provide strong evidence for Social Security when they are evaluating your claim of disability benefits for arthritis. At the initial, reconsideration or CDR level, the SSA will do an RFC assessment.

However, you can have your own treating doctor (preferably a rheumatologist or other arthritis specialist) fill out a residual functional capacity form. This form can then be used to show the functional limitations caused by your arthritis.

4. Medication Side-Effects: This is another overlooked factor that can provide additional evidence of your disability for arthritis. Many people who suffer from arthritis have to take medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cortisone and analgesics (painkillers) to manage their symptoms. Side-effects of pain medication can interfere with a claimant’s daily activities. Documentation of any adverse effects is important because it provides additional evidence of the severity of your disability with arthritis and will be included in Social Security’s assessment of your residual functional capacity.

5. Combination of Impairments: Arthritis can affect every joint in the body causing joint pain and stiffness among other symptoms. It is important to have documentation and present evidence of your combination of impairments caused by arthritis. An example would be a claimant diagnosed with arthritis who also suffers from fatigue and depression that affects their ability to do normal everyday activities.

You need to provide documentation of multiple complications from your arthritis along with other disorders and disease such as high blood pressure or diabetes. If you then argue that the combination of impairments prevents you from normal activities of daily living you will have a much stronger argument that you are disabled.

Fields Law disability with arthritis lawyers will assist you in getting the medical tests you need to document your disability for arthritis. If you are unable to work because of arthritis we can help you apply for social security disability benefits for arthritis. If you have been denied disability benefits we can appeal your case.

We offer a Free case review. Our Minnesota disability lawyers understand how frustrating it is to have arthritis and be denied disability benefits for arthritis when you are unable to work. There are never any fees unless we win your disability case.