If your bursitis is severe enough, you might meet the requirements of Social Security's disability listing for a joint abnormality.
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Bursitis is a medical condition that happens when a "bursa," a small sac of fluid that's present in all of your joints, becomes inflamed. Normal bursae (the plural of bursa) allow for muscles to slide across the bones smoothly and painlessly. For individuals with bursitis, movement of the joints becomes painful, because the bursae that are meant to protect us from pain become inflamed. Every time a joint is moved that has bursitis, the already inflamed bursa gets more irritated.
Severe cases of bursitis can cause symptoms that significantly interfere with your activities of daily living. If you have functional limitations from bursitis that keep you from working full-time for at least one year, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI). Before you submit your application, it's a good idea to get acquainted with some of the basic evidentiary requirements for meeting Social Security's definition of disability.
When Can I Get Disability for Bursitis?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes that chronic pain from bursitis can take a toll on the mind and the body. When you can't use your joints to bend, walk, reach, or lift objects, you can struggle to perform daily tasks. For those who suffer from bursitis, the physical demands of working may be too much to handle.
In order to qualify for Social Security benefits, you must show that your bursitis symptoms cause functional limitations that keep you from earning at or above the level of substantial gainful activity for at least one year. If your condition is especially severe, you might meet the requirements of a disability listing from Social Security's "Blue Book" of impairments.
Symptoms of Bursitis
Bursitis most often occurs in the elbows, knees, shoulders, and hips, but it can occur at any joint. Common symptoms may include:
- joint pain
- stiffness
- achiness when you move, and
- swelling and redness over the joint.
Bursitis is commonly caused by repetitive movement and excessive pressure to the joint. (Chronic bursitis can lead to calcium deposits within the bursa, called calcific bursitis.) However, underlying conditions can also cause bursitis, including inflammatory arthritis, gout, and scoliosis.
Is There a Disability Listing for Bursitis?
Social Security doesn't have a specific listing for bursitis in the Blue Book, but if the bursitis is severe enough, you might meet the requirements of the disability listing for joint abnormalities. The agency may evaluate your bursitis using the joint dysfunction listing if it causes or is caused by an abnormality like:
- a partial dislocation of a joint, such as a partial knee dislocation
- bony or fibrous ankylosis, a partial or full fusing of bones at the joints or stiff joint components
- joint contracture, or
- bony destruction.
In order to meet this listing, your bursitis must also cause chronic pain or stiffness that limits your ability to walk or use your arms effectively. Your medical evidence should include X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans that show an abnormality like joint dislocation or ankylosis. Ankylosis can also be diagnosed through the use of lab tests.
How Do You Prove That Bursitis Limits Your Activity?
If you aren't able to show that your bursitis meets the requirements of the joint abnormality listing, you might be able to receive Social Security benefits by demonstrating that the physical limitations from bursitis prevent you from returning to any job.
You can provide evidence of your physical limitations and restrictions through your physician's notes, gastroenterology records, and medical source statements. If your main complaint is pain, Social Security will usually want to see a diagnosis from a physical exam or medical imaging (such as ultrasound or MRI) that shows the extent of your bursitis.
In determining if you can work any job despite your limitations, Social Security uses a residual functional capacity (RFC) form that catalogs your physical and mental limitations. Social Security considers your RFC form, as well as your age, education, and work experience, when making the final determination as to whether you can return to any job.
Bursitis can cause walking and moving your arms to be painful. Repetitive motions are also irritating and may worsen the bursitis. Other physical requirements of work, including lifting and carrying items or even standing, might not be possible for those with bursitis. To qualify for benefits, you want limitations like these to appear in your RFC, but Social Security will include them in your RFC only if your doctor has recorded them in their clinical notes or in a doctor's RFC statement.
Bursitis Combined With Other Ailments
Bursitis may worsen over time and lead to enlargement of the bursa and muscle atrophy (deterioration), which can in turn lead to more inflammation and pain. If you don't currently qualify for Social Security for bursitis alone but you develop other problems, they can combine to make you disabled for Social Security disability purposes. For more information, see our article on getting disability benefits for multiple medical conditions.
Disability Benefit Amounts
Social Security doesn't award benefits based on the type of medical condition you have, so it won’t matter if you qualify for disability due to bursitis or another condition. Instead, the amount you'll receive if you're approved depends on whether you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Eligibility for SSDI is based on your employment history and the amount of work credits you’ve accumulated, while SSI is a needs-based benefit subject to income and asset limits. You can learn more about these programs—and calculate your estimated benefit amount— in our article on SSDI and SSI monthly check amounts.
How to Apply for Social Security Disability Benefits
You can file for disability in person at your local Social Security office, by calling the SSA at 800-772-1213, or online at www.ssa.gov. To complete the application, you’ll need detailed information, including the contact information and dates of treatment for all of your medical providers, the dates of any medical tests, and the names, addresses, and dates of employment for all of your employers in the last five years. (For more information, check out our step-by-step guide to applying for SSDI and SSI benefits.)
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