A Little Back Pain is not enough to Win Social Security Disability

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Because there is so much potential for abuse with people falsely claiming that they are so severely disabled that they cannot work, the Social Security administration has instituted stringent standards for approval for anyone applying for Social Security Disability.

Back pain can certainly be a serious medical condition that can make it very difficult or impossible to work.  If you have a degenerative disc disease that causes you excruciating pain every time you bend or try to lift something, you obviously will have a difficult time doing any type of physical labor.

If you have worked for a sufficient period of time and have the minimum number of work credits required to apply for Social Security Disability, you should be prepared for a long, drawn-out process. It is not unusual for a valid case to take 2 years or even more from the time you first file until the day you receive your first check.  Patience is a real virtue when you go through the process.

Winning disability with back pain requires verification from one or more doctors or medical professionals.  If you go to a chiropractor once per month for an adjustment and continue to work in pain, your chances of getting disability benefits for back pain are slim.

Unlike some more obvious medical conditions that are easily diagnosed by medical doctors and can be better documented, back pain can be a tricky area.  If you have chronic back pain, it is hard to determine when it started or if you have been living with it for years.

Obviously, if the pain comes and goes with the weather or it is not so severe all of the time, you can still function fairly well and probably be able to hold down a regular job.  Trying to prove that your condition is severe enough requires medical tests that show a degenerative disc disease or other serious medical condition.  You may have to have an MRI or other diagnostic tests to prove that you are indeed disabled.

Most people claiming disability are denied the first time they file a claim.  Do not be discouraged.  The system is set up where you have several more appeals before your case can be dismissed.  If you are denied initially, it is usually to your benefit to hire an attorney that specializes in these types of cases.  Attorneys work on a contingency basis and only get paid if you win.  For practical purposes, lawyers only take cases they know they can win.