A Look At Musculoskeletal System Impairments That Help You Qualify For SSD
You may fully expect to work until the day you retire to provide for yourself and for your family. However, sometimes it seems that life has other plans and an injury or illness will leave you unable to earn a gainful wage. Thankfully, if you have paid in Social Security taxes through your working adult life, you may be able to apply for and receive Social Security Disability (SSD) payments. There are certain conditions that are deemed as incapacitating to adults by the Social Security Administration, specifically with the musculoskeletal system.
Disorders of the Spine
Spinal disorders can definitely affect your ability to work and provide a living because your spine is the central point of many other skeletal and nervous system processes. Disorders of the spine can affect things like:
- your overall mobility
- your ability to perform fine motor functions
- your ability to stand for long periods
- your pain levels
- your ability to move your limbs properly
Spinal disorders can be genetic, but these disorders are most often caused by a direct injury. For example, you may develop a spinal disorder after you have been involved in a car accident and it affects your ability to work for the long-term.
Amputation Due to Any Cause
Any time you have an important part of your body amputated, it can definitely affect your ability to perform a substantial gainful activity, which can help you win your SSD case a little faster in some cases. Amputation can be a good qualifying reason to receive SSD if it completely changes your ability to do work that you have always done. For example, if you had to have a leg amputated due to complications with diabetes, this could affect your ability to work in a factory or as a laborer because your mobility would be compromised.
Reconstructive Surgery of a Weight-Bearing Joint
Having to undergo reconstruction of a joint that is a critical component of your everyday mobility can be hugely inhibiting to your ability to perform regular work. For example, if you were involved in a traumatic fall and severely injured your hip, the hip may have to be reconstructed. Because your hip bears a lot of weight when you stand, this could mean you qualify for SSD.
Even though there are lists of qualifying conditions available for SSD, certain criteria will have to be met before you can be approved. If you need help applying for Social Security Disability, reach out to an attorney to guide you through the process.
