The Mayo Clinic states that Osteoarthritis
“Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting, millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time.
Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.
Complications:
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that worsens over time, often resulting in chronic pain, joint pain, and stiffness can become severe enough to make daily tasks difficult.
Depression and sleep disturbances can result from the pain and disability oof osteoarthritis.
Google defines Osteoarthritis:
“A type of arthritis that occurs when flexible tissue at the ends of bones wear down.
The wearing down of the protective tissue at the ends of bones (cartilage) occurs gradually and worsens over time.
Joint pain in the hands, neck, lower back, knees or hips is the most common symptoms.
Medications, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery can help reduce pain and maintain joint movement.
If you enter the word osteoarthritis in the Social Security engine you will find it is discussing in their obesity, blindness, drug addiction and alcoholism, and obesity rulings basically saying how also having osteoarthritis with the above conditions makes if more disabling, the conditions above-mentioned.
The truth is that there is no real medical listing for osteoarthritis, no Social Security ruling for it.
You may ask yourself how I go on proving my case, based on how my chronic osteoarthritis makes it impossible for me to be able to hold any job.
First, not all conditions that prevent you from working are even included in the Medical Listings such as Fibromyalgia, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, Chronic Anemia, etc.
The truth is that every claim for Social Security disability has to be well presented based on medical evidence, well articulates at your hearing to the Administrative Law Judge in order to get your case approved.
This includes making sure that all medical records are in the Social Security electronic file, for these records include all the necessary information, such as x-rays, Ct-scan, MRI results.
Recently, the Social Security Administration change Medical Listing 1.00 musculoskeletal and Medical Listing 1.03 which evaluated all arthritis claims under Medical Listing 1.03 major dysfunction of a joint which required at least one of these conditions dislocation, shortening of a muscle joint, stiffness or immobility of a joint, instability, chronic joint pain, and stiffness of a joint with limitations of motion, other abnormal motion of the affected joints, joint space narrowing or bony destruction. Under the new Medical Listing 1.00 it now falls under section 1.18 called abnormality of a major joint(s) in extremity.
Again, the Social Security Administration fails to use the work arthritis, or any of its deviates.
And now in its new requirements to meet them their medical listing you most prove as follows:
1.18 Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity (see 1.00D, documented by A, B, C, and D:
- Chronic joint pain or stiffness
AND
- Abnormal motion, instability, or immobility of the affected joint(s).
AND
- Anatomical abnormality of the affected joint(s) noted on:
- Physical examination (for example, subluxation, contracture, or bony or fibrous ankylosis); or
- Imaging (for example, joint space narrowing, bony destruction, or ankylosis or arthrodesis of the affected joint).
- Impairment-related physical limitations of musculoskeletal functioning that has lasts, or is expected to last, for a continuous period of at least 12 months, and medical documentation of at least one of the following:
- A documented medical need (see 00C6a) for a walker, bilateral canes, or bilateral crutches (see 1.00C6d) or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of both hands
- an inability to use one upper extremity to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 00E4), and documented medical need (see 1.00C6a) for a one-handed, hand-held assistive device (see 1.00C6d) that requires the use of the other upper extremity or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving the use of one hand (see 1.00C6e(ii)); or
- An inability to use both upper extremities to the extent that neither can be used to independently initiate, sustain, and complete work-related activities involving fine and gross movements (see 00E4).
If your case was heard after 4/2/2021 the above is the criteria your ALJ most follow in reaching a decision if you meet or equal a Medical Listing.
By now you are wondering will my disability claim for osteoarthritis be approve.
Your claim as any other will require that your attorney not only understands your condition but that he or she assists you in understanding what medical evidence is needed to obtain your benefits, all I do is handle Social Security disability claims like yours, allow me to discuss your case, and together reach a decision as how to go forward with your claim. Call for a free phone or in person conference to discuss your claim 407-894-4779.