FIBROMYALGIA

If you search for fibromyalgia before 1981 you won't find it.  1981 is when Dr. Muhammad Yunus defined the disease and named it.  For years, it was considered by doctors to be a bogus disease.  Now, we know better.

Fibromyalgia is an incurable disease resulting in overactive nerve tissues.  It causes chronic pain in the muscles, joints and tendons along with fatigue and sleeplessness and often is associated with depression or anxiety.  Most patients describe a "brain fog" which makes concentration difficult.

If you suffer from fibromyalgia and need to file a Social Security disability claim, I want to share some things that may help you.

First, Social Security requires that fibromyalgia be diagnosed using the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology, using either the 1990 rules or the 2010 rules. The best trained doctor to diagnose and evaluate fibromyalgia is a rheumatologist.  A rheumatologist will be given more weight than a family doctor when your case comes before Social Security.  There are many medical conditions that mimic the symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Your doctor must rule out these other diseases in order to make a definite diagnosis.  You must convince Social Security that you have a "medically determinable impairment" or MDI.  Only your doctor can do this.

Second, you must prove that fibromyalgia symptoms interfere with your ability to perform basic work related activities.  Try to get the rheumatologist to provide you with a written "residual functional capacity" (RFC).  Simply defined, this is a statement about the maximum that you can do when it comes to functions like sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, etc.*  There is a neat form that Social Security likes to use for this.  It's called a "Medical Source Statement," or Form HA-1151. My firm uses a specialized form tailored specifically to symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Third, Social Security will want to see that you are following prescribed treatment to try to get better.  It's important to take the medications prescribed by your doctor.  If you experience side effects with a medication that prevents you from taking it, talk to your doctor about other medicine that you may try.  Failure to follow treatment may cause problems with a Social Security claim.

Social Security's 2012 Ruling on Fibromyalgia 
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