Back injuries and disabilities affect thousands of Americans on a day-to-day basis. If you or a loved one are suffering from a back injury that makes it difficult for you to make a living, you need to apply for social security disability benefits. Unfortunately, you are not guaranteed to receive them immediately upon application for benefits.
Understanding what qualifies as a disorder of the spine or back injury is important when dealing with the application and appeals process for social security disability benefits. In general, you will need to experience one of the following maladies to be considered for benefits: herniated nucleus pulposus, spinal arachnoiditis, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet arthritis, vertebral fracture.
However, simply having one of these ailments is not enough to gain social security disability benefits successfully. Your condition must result in a compromise to the nerve root system or spinal cord to be relevant. Additionally, you must also experience one of the following three issues. The more of these your disability matches, the more likely you are to gain benefits:
1. Any evidence that you are experiencing “nerve root compression characterized by neuro-anatomic distribution of pain, limitation of motion of the spine, motor loss (atrophy with associated muscle weakness or muscle weakness) accompanied by sensory or reflex loss and, if there is involvement of the lower back, positive straight-leg raising test (sitting and supine)â€
 2. A medical report that shows that you are being affected by spinal arachnoiditis that makes it difficult for you to remain in the same position or posture for more than 2 hours at a time.
3. Any case of lumbar spinal stenosis that results in pseudoclaudication, that can be proven by the accepted medical procedures listed on the SSA website.
If you feel that you meet the qualifications for back injuries recognized as disabilities by the SSA, it is imperative that you begin your application or appeal process immediately. At The Law Office of Sheryl Gandel Mazur, we dedicate ourselves to helping every client gain the disability benefits they deserve, so that they can lead a fulfilling and comfortable life. Your disability should not keep you from living a great existence, so please contact us at your convenience to set up a free consultation. A brighter and more comfortable future is within your grasp, so start your journey towards social security disability benefits today.
