When filing for Social Security disability you must be detailed when explaining your pains and limitations. For this to be a credible part of your claim, you must be able to let doctors know exactly what you can and cannot do in full detail. Following are two examples of explanations of pain and limitations.
The following example is very vague and doesn’t fully explain what exactly is going on with the patient’s pain and limitations:
“Doc, I hurt all over. The pain is everywhere. I can’t do things like I used to. Nothing helps and I just feel like I’m walking around in a daze all the time.”
While a doctor may come away from a meeting knowing that the patient is in pain, they won’t know exactly where it is located and what daily task you can’t perform. The line of communication is not clear, therefore, the doctor may walk away confused. When your in pain and can’t do things like you used to it is no time for anyone to be confused. Now let’s look at a very detailed explanation:
“Doc, my pain is in my lower back and it sometimes goes down the back of both my legs down the knee. I can only bend over far enough to touch my knees and I can’t twist without any pain. I can only stand for about 20 minutes before I have to sit down and I can only sit for 10 minutes unless I’m in a recliner. The pain medicine you gave me makes me tired and dizzy for most of the day. I generally fall asleep for a couple hours every day. I have to have help with getting dressed in the morning and I’m not able to do any housework other than light dusting.”
A doctor will walk away from this meeting knowing exactly where you stand in your health. The doctor will be able to treat your pains more efficiently and will be able to communicate your pain and limitations to documents that are vital to your claim.
In a nutshell, you must have sound documentation of your pain and limitations when seeking Social Security Disability benefits. It starts with your communication of those pains and limitations. This does not mean you should come into the doctor’s office with a laundry list of limitations, but be aware that you need to be detailed as possible.
