Back Pain and SS Disability

Evaluation of Back Pain Cases

 In a large number of cases that Tampa SSD attorneys handle, the most common symptom is often back pain. Due to the high number of cases involving this factor, showing that you are disabled because of this pain can be a challenge.
Evidence Considered by the Social Security Administration

Your Tampa SSD attorney can explain that the Social Security Administration will evaluate several pieces of evidence. This may include objective abnormalities, subjective complaints of pain and your credibility.

Difficulty Using Objective Medical Evidence

In many cases, applicants suffer a great deal of pain and are limited in their ability to complete certain movements. While there may not be a great magnitude of objective evidence, an applicant may still be disabled. Certain types of objective evaluations cannot accurately reflect the severity of an applicant’s pain.

Subjective Evidence of Back Pain

Your medical history, your credibility and the consistency of the complaints you make regarding back pain are important factors that the Social Security Administration will consider.

Psychogenic Factors in Back Pain

A Tampa SSD attorney can explain that applicants who suffer from psychological distress or a fear grounded in pain may develop greater pain. This is due in part to these applicants being weary of beneficial activities that may reduce pain symptoms such as exercise or physical therapy. Psychogenic factors can sometimes be used to explain the disparity between the expected level of pain given the medical evidence and the pain that the applicant actually experiences. A Tampa SSD lawyer may ask your treating physician to provide an opinion about whether you suffer from such psychogenic factors.

Emotional Overlay

In some cases, emotional factors can also explain back pain, especially lower back pain. An emotional overlay is an increment that is added to an existing disability or symptom. Your treating doctor may also be able to explain the disparity between your expected pain and your actual pain by citing such an emotional overlay. In some cases, a psychological evaluation can help corroborate the pain.

If you would like more information about how back pain is evaluated, call Mike Murburg, P.A. at (813) 264-5363.