Medical Evidence Of Pain And How The Social Security Administration Uses It

Disability lawyers in Greensboro NC say there is no way to measure pain, only its effects. Pain can cause reduced joint motion, involuntary muscular contractions, sensory impairments, and disruptions in movement. Such observations in medical records support and corroborate complaints of pain.

Disability lawyers in Greensboro NC have listed some examples of significant information about pain recorded by health care professionals as medical evidence:

• Circumstances of onset, site and severity, precipitating stress and aggravating factors, frequency and duration of episodes, long-term course of condition, and effects on daily activities. Doctors often obtain this information directly from the patients/claimants, and the claim adjudicator may compare it to other statements in the case record.
• A record over time of all treatments and results, including any side effects.
• Indications of other physical or mental impairments that could affect the symptoms.

Treatment History

Medical records documenting attempts to seek medical treatment and to follow treatments prescribed support complaints of intense and persistent pain. Persistent efforts to relieve pain by medications, trials of various treatments to find one that works without side effects, referrals to specialists, or substitutions of treating doctors may support findings of intense and persistent pain.

Our disability lawyers in Greensboro NC warn that the complaint may not be fully credible if the extent or frequency of treatment is inconsistent with the description of pain or if medical records show failure to follow prescribed treatment with no logical reason like financial inability nor valid excuse like treatment inefficacy.

Contact Disability Lawyers In Greensboro NC For Legal Advice

Many working people struggle with physical or mental impairments to the point where they can work no longer. Then when they apply for Social Security disability, they find out they are denied as are 65 percent of applicants, often for applications improperly submitted. Much better are the statistics on appeals; about 50 percent who appeal recover disability benefits, and the numbers are significantly higher for those represented by disability lawyers in Greensboro NC.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has very specific rules and regulations on disability. Statutes and decisions in court cases govern the evidence the SSA looks for, to whom it looks, and how it draws conclusions from the evidence. The disability system is complex and the application process arduous. Don’t go it alone. Call the Bridgman Law Offices at 704-815-6055 to schedule a free consultation.