Back pain can be the result of an injury, medical condition, or even aging. No matter the cause, if you’re experiencing regular back pain, you know it can be debilitating. For many people, this makes work nearly impossible. Filing for disability can provide a source of income while you are recovering or while living with your condition. Social Security can be complicated, so it’s smart to explore what qualifies for benefits to better understand when social security can work for you.

Understanding Social Security Benefits for Back Pain

Qualifying Back Pain 

Social Security benefits are reserved for people whose pain is debilitating to the extent it that makes daily tasks near impossible. To be approved for a disability benefit, you must have a medical impairment that is expected to keep you from working for at least 12 months. Your doctor’s records should document your complaints of pain, limitation of motion, tenderness and objective evidence documented by x-ray, MRI or CT scans. The better the objective evidence to explain the serious symptoms, the more likely that your symptoms and limitations will be found credible by the adjudicator. 

Other Factors 

In addition to your health, the Social Security Administration considers other factors to determine if you are able to make a living with your condition, or if you need greater assistance. They will look at your age, experience, and education to determine if there is a job that could be suited to your abilities and your pain. If you don’t meet the required diagnosis for benefits, they will give you a ranking of the work they think you should be able to do: sedentary, light, medium, or heavy.

Credibility 

The Social Security Administration will also see if you’re what’s called a credible source. This means that you’ve worked in good faith with your doctor to help find a solution, including pursuing treatments or further tests that they’ve recommended. Your doctor’s assessment of your case, physical limitations, and pain level will also be reviewed closely before a final decision is made. The more consistent your complaints and symptoms, the more likely they will be found credible. 

How to Prepare to File a Claim

Saving Medical Files 

If you are experiencing back pain and feel that you could benefit from disability services, keep an ongoing file of all your doctor appointments, scans, tests, and treatments. This way, when it comes time to file, you’ll have a detailed list of the treatments, medications and measures you’ve taken to feel better.

If you believe that you may qualify for disability benefits, reach out to the experts at Disability Claim Consultants in Omaha, NE. The agency has been serving the Western Iowa and Omaha area for nearly 20 years. Their team members help make the claim and application process easy and understandable. Visit their website to see what they can do for you, or call  (402) 422-1000 to speak to their friendly staff.