At the moment of writing this article, there is not an entry in the Social Security Disability Listing for Impairment for the condition Fibromyalgia. Nor is there for its other names commonly used such as fibromyositis or Myofacial Pain Syndrome. Getting denied of claims is quite common ground for Fibromyalgia patients, but this doesn't have to be the case.
There is hope for the fibromyalgia patient who needs to claim disability. Many fellow sufferers have gone on to win their cases, you likewise can. The trick is to pursue the claim of disability through the appeal process.
After a person files at the Social Security Office, the case is transferred to DDS, an agency responsible for making the decisions on Disability. Once it is in this agency, the claim is assigned to a specialist who then makes the determination to approve or decline the disability claim.
So why is it so hard to get approved for disability when fibromyalgia is so disabling? Well, the reasons are many. SSD will generally give very little weight to this condition because the condition is not well understood. Your chances get even less when there is not another condition that is accompanying it such as arthritis or some degenerative disease.
Part of the problem is also that the causes are not fully understood and symptoms can range from mild to severe, from one patient to the next. This is why it helps if Fibromyalgia is diagnosed in conjunction with another diagnosis. This is because Fibromyalgia will be seen more legitimately and logical if it is an extension of another "more real" diagnosis.
Another factor is who makes the diagnosis. A diagnosis coming from a Rheumatologist will hold much more weight than if made by a family practitioner or an internist. The label of a specialist holds more umph when it comes to decision time.
This, of course, is no fault of the fibromyalgia sufferer, but there are some tips you can follow to increase your chances of winning your case. The chances of winning are improving as more information about fibromyalgia comes out. So let's get to the tips for a winning case.
If you want to claim Fibromyalgia for your disability make sure that it has been diagnosed and is in your medical records. If a doctor merely mentions fibromyalgia as a possibility without diagnosing it and charting it, you could be out of luck. So, make sure it is in your medical records.
Make sure that you have been diagnosed by a specialist. If your family doctor makes the diagnosis, have a specialist such as a rheumatologist give you the same diagnosis. Like previously mentioned, diagnosis from a specialist will hold more weight.
This sounds brutal but try not to be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia by a mental health worker. Psychiatrists and those in the mental health arena sometimes overdiagnose patients with Fibromyalgia and so it does not look valid to the SSD agents. If you are diagnosed by a mental health provider, make sure that you are also seen by a specialist such as a rheumatologist to validate the diagnosis.
Be informed and know what's in your records. Make copies of everything. It is well known that social security disability cases are decided on records. This holds true for all levels of administration that your case will flow through. By obtaining copies of your medical records before you apply, you will have an idea of how your case looks to the decision makers and help you know if you need to see another doctor before applying.
These simple tips will help you in your fight to win your disability case. Fibromyalgia disability cases can be won and the more that do the easier it will get for our fight.
Copyright (c) 2007 Hailey HarrisAbout the Author:
Hailey Harris is an expert in dealing with Fibromyalgia after suffering for more than 8 years with health problems. She is now symptom free and living a pain free life. She developed Ridfibromyalgia.com found at http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com to help others learn to do the same. To receive tons of info, tips, and healing strategies for free visit http://www.ridfibromyalgia.com/how.html.
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