Is Degenerative Disc Disease a Disability to Social Security in Wisconsin?
Getting Economic Support When You Can’t Work
Degenerative disc disease can turn everyday life into a cycle of pain, stiffness and limitation.
For some people, it starts as back pain that comes and goes. Over time, it becomes the kind of pain that affects walking, standing, sitting, lifting, sleeping and even concentrating.
If you’re dealing with chronic back or neck problems, and it’s threatening your ability to work and make a living, you may be asking a very practical question:
Is degenerative disc disease a disability to Social Security? Could you qualify for economic assistance? This, after all, is what you may need to lead a more secure, healthy life.
The answer is yes. Degenerative disc disease can qualify for disability benefits. The Social Security Disability benefits program recognizes it as a musculoskeletal disorder that can limit your ability to work.
The real issue is whether your symptoms and limitations are severe enough to keep you from working full time.
At the Becker Law Office and Hawks Quindel, our Wisconsin disability lawyers help people across the state pursue Social Security Disability benefits. We’ve helped many with degenerative disc disease apply for benefits and appeal denials of benefits.
We assist clients in Madison, Wausau, Janesville, Monroe and throughout Wisconsin.
You don’t pay an attorney fee until you win benefits.
Degenerative Disc Disease Disability and How Social Security Evaluates It
Degenerative disc disease is often described as “wear and tear” in the spine. It can affect the discs, joints, and nerves in the neck and back. Symptoms may include:
- Chronic back or neck pain
- Radiating pain into the arms or legs
- Numbness or tingling
- Muscle weakness
- Limited range of motion
- Difficulty walking or standing
- Pain that worsens with sitting, bending or lifting
Many people with degenerative disc disease also have related diagnoses such as herniated discs, spinal arthritis, spinal stenosis or nerve problems.
Social Security will look for evidence such as:
- Nerve root compression
- Pain that radiates into the arms or legs
- Weakness, sensory changes or reduced reflexes
- Significant limitations in movement and functioning
There is also a separate listing that may apply in certain cases of lumbar spinal stenosis that compresses spinal nerves.
Not everyone meets a listing, but that doesn’t mean you cannot win benefits. It means Social Security needs proof of how your degenerative disc disease is a disability.
Strong degenerative disc disease disability claims usually include:
- MRI, CT scans, or X-rays showing degenerative changes
- Treatment records from specialists, primary care doctors, or pain management doctors
- Physical therapy notes showing functional limitations
- Documentation of medications, injections or surgical recommendations
- Records of nerve testing when appropriate
- Clear notes describing how pain affects movement and daily activities
Social Security looks for a consistent treatment history and clear evidence that the condition has impacted your ability to work over time.
Back and spine claims are common, and they are often denied at first. This can happen for many reasons, including incomplete details in your application forms, lack of clear documentation of limitations, or Social Security deciding you could still do “light” work.
This is where having a disability attorney can help.
At the Becker Law Office, our disability law team has been helping Wisconsin families for decades. With us, you have experienced support behind your claim from start to finish.
Get a FREE evaluation of your degenerative disc disease disability claim.
How to Win Social Security Disability for Degenerative Disc Disease in Wisconsin
Social Security does not approve benefits only because an MRI shows disc problems. The question Social Security always asks is whether your condition keeps you from working full time.
That is why successful degenerative disc disease claims usually focus on functional limitations, not just a diagnosis.
Social Security wants to see what everyday tasks you can and cannot do on a consistent basis. It takes a measure of your “residual functional capacity” or RFC, based on your medical information. Your RFC is what you can do despite your limitations.
Social Security looks closely at:
- How long you can sit, stand and walk
- How much you can lift and carry
- Whether you need to change positions frequently
- Whether you need frequent rest
- Whether pain affects concentration and pace
- How often flare-ups cause missed work
- Whether you can reliably complete a normal workday
Get clear descriptions from your doctors and therapists about how pain and mobility loss affect your daily life. Degenerative disc disease often gets minimized because it is common. The way to win benefits is showing exactly how severe it is for you.
This takes coordination and communication with your doctors about what types of information Social Security needs and what forms it should come in. Your disability attorney can smooth that process.
You can get disability benefits for degenerative disc disease. But your case needs to show more than a diagnosis. It needs to show what your life and work capacity actually look like.
Get the Becker Law Office to help.
At Becker, our Madison disability lawyers help people apply for Social Security Disability and turn denials into approvals.
If you can’t work because of degenerative disc disease, disability benefits can improve your life.