It is not uncommon for most people in Bremen to experience some degree of joint pain at some point. Indeed, it may be this shared experience that causes some to view such pain as something that one can simply work through.
Yet when such pain progresses from occasional to chronic, it can easily feel debilitating. That many adults should report suffering from such pain should not come as a surprise; according to information shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 30% of adults between the ages of 45-64 report experiencing doctor-diagnosed arthritis. The question then becomes at what point might such pain qualify one for disability benefits.
Examining the SSA’s Listing of Impairments
Fortunately, the Social Security Administration clearly answers this question in its Listing of Impairments. Here it states that in order for one to qualify for SSD benefits due to joint pain, one must exhibit a gross anatomical deformity of the affected joint characterized by chronic pain as well as either limitation of motion or abnormal motion. In addition, one must provide imaging studies of the affected area showing one of the following conditions:
- Joint space narrowing
- Bone destruction
- Ankylosis(immobility of a joint due to the fusion of bones)
Debilitating joint pain in the extremities
On top of the aforementioned criteria, one citing joint pain as a reason for needing disability benefits must show that pain to be in a major weight-bearing joint that inhibits their ability to effectively walk. Otherwise, the SSA requires that one experience pain in one of the peripheral joints of the upper extremity (e.g. the hands, shoulders or elbows) that is responsible for fine movements.
