This information may help claimants with representation, as well as claimants who are not represented by an attorney or non attorney representative. Understanding how the Social Security Disability system works can make the difference between winning or not winning the continuing disability benefits and backpay to which a person is entitled. To win a claim for ongoing and past due benefits, claimants should learn about the disability process to improve their chances of winning ssi or ssd - ssdi benefits. |
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or CTS, is a repetitive strain injury caused by compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel area of the wrist. It occurs when connective tissue in either wrist (ligaments, tendons) becomes enlarged or inflamed. The result of this tissue enlargement is a pinching of the nerve (the median nerve) that runs from the tunnel of bones and ligaments in the wrist to the fingers and base of the thumb. This "pinching" results in a range of symptoms somewhat similar to the peripheral neuropathies experienced by individuals who have chronic diabetes: 1. sensations of tingling, burning, or even numbness in the fingers, 2. a loss of manual dexterity and grip strength, 3. an occasional locking of the finger joints in various positions, 4. swelling and inflammation in the fingers, and 5. pain. How does the social security administration view CTS? At the moment, there is no entry in Social Security Disability's (aka DDS, or Disability Determination Services) Listing of Impairments manual for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This, despite the fact that a significant number of individuals filing for disability benefits list CTS as one of their primary disabling conditions. Unfortunately, one can only infer, from the lack of an entry in the listing book, that the condition is not considered by the ssd and ssi programs to be strictly disabling, in and of itself. 
Can you still win benefits if you have carpal tunnel syndrome? Yes, a claimant with cts can still be successful in obtaining disability benefits. In fact, claimants who have severe carpal tunnel syndrome and whose past work was based on the ability to perform repetitive or dexterous hand movements, or on the ability to use a certain level of grip strength in the course of their job duties, will often be judged incapable of returning to this type of past work. Will a claimant's inability to return to past work be enough to win a disability claim with SSA? In most cases, the answer will be no. Typically, in SSA's sequential evaluation process, individuals who cannot do their past work are often considered to be capable of doing other work. "Other work" generally involves either a claimant's cumulative job skills that are considered to be transferrable to other jobs, or the ability to do simple, routine, repetitive tasks. However, carpal tunnel claimants who have severe functional restrictions may be able to obtain a medical vocational allowance, particularly if they have other impairments that also limit their functional capacity. What is a medical vocational allowance? Med-Voc allowances are granted to claimants whose conditions do not meet or equal the specifications of a listing in ssa's impairment listing book but whose condition, or various conditions in combination, do warrant an approval of disability benefits due to an inability to do either their past work or any other work. Medical Vocational allowances and carpal tunnel syndrome In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical vocational allowance will be more likely when a claimant:
Regarding the second, having solid (detailed, specific, and favorable) medical records to document a social security disability or ssi claim is always paramount.
Medical evidence and carpal tunnel syndrome In the case of carpal tunnel syndrome, the records should, ideally, show the results of a nerve conduction study. The treatment, or progress, notes obtained from a claimant's physician should also indicate the particular limitations imposed by carpal tunnel syndrome, as well a specific prognosis. If a doctor's notes do not provide sufficient information regarding the claimant's limitations or outlook, the claimant may wish to consider obtaining a detailed statement from their physician (note: this statement should be provided by a "treating physician"; in other words, a doctor who has an established history of treating the claimant.) Outlook for carpal tunnel syndrome claimants CTS claimants should always keep these facts in mind. Though up to seventy percent of all initial claims for disability are denied and an even higher number of reconsideration appeals are likewise denied (80-85%), a medical Vocational allowance will always be easier to obtain from an Administrative Law Judge at a disability hearing. This is true simply due to the fact that ALJ's are not subject to the same degree of oversight that DDS (disability determination services) examiners are subject to. In other words, judges have much more latitude when it comes to approving claims. Therefore, carpal tunnel sufferers who apply for disability benefits should not give up if their case is denied. Quite the opposite, they should continue to pursue their claims through SSA's appeal process. Disability Advocates Help with Claims Free Case Evaluation |
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