In a recent post on the importance of claimant credibility, I made a point that your ability to effectively describe your physical pain at the hearing may play a role in helping you win your case. Since physical pain is common to many disability cases, I want to elaborate on this point. Not only should [...]
Filed under Fibromyalgia and disability, Strategies for winning by 
Yesterday, I met with a fibromyalgia disability client in a pre-hearing session. A hearing is scheduled in my client’s case in about 10 days and I met with my client and her husband to discuss what I call the “theory of our case” so my client would have a clear idea about what we were [...]
Filed under Fibromyalgia and disability by
I have more than one disability, should I focus just one or provide info on all to help my case? Fibromyalgia, heart problems, sleep apnea and extreme fatigue, and bi-polar depression. –Darlene Jonathan Ginsberg responds: Darlene – good question. At the initial and reconsideration stages, your claim will be reviewed by an Adjudicator who works [...]
Despite a general acceptance in the medical literature that fibromyalgia is a real illness that can be disabling, there are still judges out there who refuse to accept that this chronic pain condition exists. There are no "objective" tests that can be run for fibromyalgia – its existence can be inferred by symptoms such as [...]
Filed under Fibromyalgia and disability, Strategies for winning by
I have been suffering from Hypertension, muliple pain syndromes (Fibromyalgia, Multi-Lateral Cervical Stenosis, Degenerative Disk Disease, Femoral and Ulnar neuropathies, Migraines, Sciatica, Bursitus, Osteoarthritis) and Clinical (including SAD) Depression. I went through to a Depression Group and saw a Psychotherapist AND a 9-week Chronic Pain Management Course through my HMO last year. I’ve been on [...]
