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Qualifying for Disability with Neck and Back Pain

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Support When You Can’t Work because of Back or Neck Pain

Problems with your back or neck can limit your daily life.

Maybe you have a spinal disease that has worsened over time. Maybe you had a surgery that left you with orthopedic or neurological problems.

If your pain, weakness, or difficulty moving about are severe enough, you may be unable to work.

When that happens, you face a financial and personal disaster.

Social Security Disability benefits, including monthly checks and Medicare eligibility to cover ongoing health-care costs, can help restore stability to your life.

But winning benefits isn’t easy. Most people get denied.

You may wonder, “Does back pain qualify for disability? Does neck pain qualify for disability?”

They certainly can. And the lawyers at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal are here to help you sort this out. We’ve helped thousands of people in Ohio win disability benefits over the last 40 years.

When you’re dealing with an impersonal government program, we bring personal care to your case. We want to see you reach better times.

After your claim is done, we want you to say “Helping me, that’s HNB.”

Talk to HNB  Talk to HNB 

GET HNB TO HELP YOU

    How to Prove Your Neck or Back Pain Qualifies for Disability Benefits

    To qualify for disability benefits, you must show that you can’t continue in your work because of health problems, you can’t switch to new work, and your condition will last at least a year.

    One way to qualify for benefits is to match your medical condition to an entry in Social Security’s official listing of impairments.

    With neck or back pain, you could have a qualifying diagnosis for many different conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, scoliosis, herniated discs, degenerative discs, nerve root compression and more.

    Documenting your symptoms will be a crucial part of your claim. Your symptoms could include these:

    • Limited range of motion
    • Difficulty walking
    • Sensory loss
    • Reflex loss
    • The need for frequent changes of position

    But Social Security won’t just take your word for it that you’re suffering from these or other symptoms.

    You have to prove it by providing medical evidence. That can include MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, reports from physical exams, and reports from physical therapy you’ve received.

    Social Security will want to see that you’re building a history of problems with your neck or spine.

    You can start on your disability claim by getting HNB Law to evaluate your situation for free.

    Get My Free Case Review 
    A doctor examines a man’s back. An HNB lawyer can help you document your neck or back pain symptoms and prove to Social Security that you should receive disability benefits.

    An HNB lawyer can help you document your neck or back pain symptoms and prove to Social Security that you should receive disability benefits.

    Other Ways You Can Win Social Security Disability Income

    Even if your diagnosis and specific symptoms don’t line up perfectly with Social Security’s list of impairments, you could still win disability benefits through other paths:

    • Your residual functional capacity (RFC) rating: Social Security medical consultants give you this rating based on the amount and type of physical activity you can handle. The name of your diagnosis doesn’t matter. Your RFC rating shows what you can do day to day. 
    • A medical-vocational allowance: You can receive this form of approval for disability benefits by showing you can’t perform the least strenuous work you’ve done in the past 15 years. This allowance looks at your health, your age, your skills, and whether another job exists that you could do.

    Musculoskeletal diseases, including back and neck pain, are the largest category of impairments for people who receive Social Security Disability benefits.

    Almost 33 percent of nearly 9 million workers getting disability checks have musculoskeletal conditions.

    At HNB, we’ll take time to understand how your condition affects you. We know how to guide you through the system with a neck or back problem—and we’ll make sure you don’t go through this process alone.

    Call HNB Now! 
    A couple sits in bed looking at a laptop computer. Getting Social Security Disability benefits for neck or back pain is complicated, but HNB knows all your options.

    Getting Social Security Disability benefits for neck or back pain is complicated, but HNB knows all your options.