Disability Benefits for Peripheral Neuropathy in St. Petersburg

In the US, over fifteen million people suffer from peripheral neuropathy. People of all ages can develop peripheral neuropathy, however, the majority are older than 50. Peripheral neuropathy, which is frequently misdiagnosed, may be severe and crippling, affecting every part of a person’s life. If peripheral neuropathy is affecting you, you could be eligible for disability benefits. However, tackling the filing process can be a hassle. The Law Office of Nancy L. Cavey can help out with that.

Understanding peripheral neuropathy:

Damage to the nerves that link the brain and spinal cord to various areas of the body is known as peripheral neuropathy, and symptoms include numbness, discomfort, muscular weakness, tingling, odd sensations, muscle atrophy, reduced reflexes, and paralysis. It can appear in a number of diseases, including carpal tunnel syndrome and Guillain-Barre syndrome, and present with symptoms that might increase suddenly and rapidly or slowly and steadily over time.

What causes it and what are the symptoms?

Peripheral neuropathy is characterized by tingling, severe or searing pain, numbness in the hands or feet, muscular weakness, trouble moving the limbs or walking, lack of coordination, low blood pressure, and perspiration.

Peripheral neuropathy can also result from injury and nerve compression (like carpal tunnel syndrome), as well as autoimmune disorders, infections, vitamin deficiencies, alcoholism, environmental factors, certain malignancies, cancer therapies, drugs, and other illnesses, including kidney and liver disease.

Determining disability:

You must have either acute physical limits in your ability to balance, walk, stand, or use your arms or noticeable physical limitations combined with clear restrictions in your capacity to think, interact with others, concentrate, or take care of yourself in order to be eligible for this listing. “Marked” describes restrictions that are worse than moderate but not as severe as extreme.

You must provide thorough medical records to support your claim of peripheral neuropathy. These records must include doctor visits, treatment notes, and the outcomes of diagnostic procedures including EMG, NCV studies, blood tests, QST, autonomic testing, imaging studies, and nerve biopsy, if necessary.

Final thoughts:

You can apply for Social Security disability benefits online, over the phone, or in person. If your application is denied, you can go through the appeal process, which includes requesting reconsideration, requesting a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, requesting review by the Appeals Council, and filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court. If you need help with any of this, get a St. Petersburg disability lawyer.