Back injuries, illnesses, and conditions are a leading reason that people are found eligible for Social Security Disability.
Diseases such as arthritis, degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, and spinal arachnoiditis may attack the spine and cause severe pain and interfere with walking.
Of course, disc herniations, spinal canal narrowing, and traumatic injuries to the back may result in the need for disc surgeries, implants or fusions.
It is important that you be able to show objective evidence of these conditions through MRIs, CAT scan, Xrays, operative reports or other diagnostic tests.
Many Judges give a claimant seeking disability payments the benefit of the doubt if they have had several back surgeries with poor results.
Ongoing pain treatment is also a sign that you are having chronic problems.
This may include seeing a pain management doctor, taking strong pain medications, wearing a pain stimulator, or having nerves burned.
Prescriptions for a brace, cane or walker also show that you are having mobility problems.
You will also need to testify to consistent problems with pain and side effects from medications interfering with concentration and staying on task.
If you are under 50 years of age and can perform any job, then you are not disabled according to Social Security Disability rules. This means that you must convince the Judge that your back pain interferes with your walking, movement, posture and concentration to the extent that you will not be able to meet attendance or productivity standards.
If you are over 50 years of age and are limited to a sit down job, then you will often have a good chance of winning disability. For people who have performed a sit down job in the past 15 years you must still prove that you cannot do your past work.
Questions about your disability case? Feel free to contact Illinois Social Security Disability Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.