The Social Security Administration’s evaluation of chronic pain

You must provide both objective and subjective evidence to the Social Security Administration to qualify for disability benefits based on chronic pain as your impairment.

The Social Security Administration is very thorough with these claims, and looks at all possible evidence.

Seven basic factors that the Social Security Administration considers in evaluating pain as an impairment

A Social Security regulation requires the Social Security decision makers to consider the following seven factors in evaluating whether your pain symptoms qualify you for disability benefits:

1. Your daily activities.
2. The location, duration, frequency, and intensity of your pain.
3. Things that trigger and aggravate your symptoms.
4. The type, dosage, effectiveness, and side effects of any medication you take to alleviate pain.
5. Other types of treatment that you have received for relief of pain.
6. Things other than treatment that you have used to relieve pain (e.g., lying flat on your back, standing for a certain amount of time every hour, or sleeping on a board).
7. Any other things about your functional limitations and restrictions due to pain.

Eleven more factors that the Social Security Administration looks at for pain to qualify as an impairment

Part of what makes dealing with the Social Security Administration so complex is that it has so many rules and guidelines. In addition to the seven factors just listed that are required by a Social Security regulation, there is a Social Security ruling that says that the decision maker should consider the following eleven factors in assessing your residual functional capacity:

1. Your medical history.
2. Your medical signs and laboratory findings.
3. The effects of the treatment that you have received. This is to include any limitations or restrictions caused by the treatment.
4. Reports of your daily activities.
5. Lay (non-medical) evidence about your condition.
6. Recorded observations about how you function.
7. Medical source statements.
8. The effects of your symptoms, including pain.
9. Any available evidence from attempts to work.
10. Whether or not you need a structured living environment.
11. Any work evaluations that you might have.

A Florida disability lawyer will help with your Social Security disability claim

Okaloosa and other Florida Social Security claimants who have questions about how their pain affects their eligibility for Social Security disability benefits should consider checking with a Florida disability lawyer.

If you are not already represented by an Okaloosa or other Florida Social Security disability lawyer, contact me for an evaluation of your case.

You may email or call my office, or fill out the form to the right.

Michael V. McGrail
Wesley, McGrail & Wesley, PLLC
Okaloosa Social Security disability attorney

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