Neuropathy is nerve damage of the peripheral nervous system.
This usually involves nerves in the hands and feet.
Symptoms include burning and tingling and sometimes numbness.
Some causes may include physical trauma, repetitive trauma, exposure to toxins, diabetes, chronic liver and kidney conditions, lyme disease or AIDS.
Neuropathy is important in Social Security Disability cases because it often limits a person’s ability to stand, walk and use your hands for fine and gross manipulation.
If you can no longer stand and walk greater than 2 hours per day, then you are limited to sedentary jobs.
If the neuropathy is really severe it may keep you from working even sedentary jobs because of the need for excessive breaks.
Neuropathy of the hands may limit the use of your hands to occasionally handling, fingering and holding items.
This will prevent you working most jobs in the economy because almost all jobs require frequent handling and fingering throughout the day.
You must document your problems and symptoms of neuropathy with complaints to the doctor of ongoing burning, tingling or numbness.
It also helps to have diagnostic tests to confirm that you have neuropathy.
Questions about disability and your neuropathy? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.