Whether or not your degenerative disc disease is classified as a disability will depend on the severity and frequency of your pain. Some with this condition find the pain bearable and sporadic enough to not interfere with their job duties. For others, the pain is recurrent and severe, resulting in long term disability.
Is Degenerative Disc Disease a Disability? Yes, the SSA may consider degenerative disc disease (DDD) a disability severe enough to qualify for disability benefits. There are some quite exacting criteria used by the SSA which it uses to assess eligibility for disability benefits.
Individuals with degenerative disc disease can be severely limited by the condition. If you work in a physical job or a sedentary one, the pain of degenerative disc disease can be enough to prevent you from performing both mental and physical job duties.
How is degenerative disc disease diagnosed? A diagnosis is based on a medical history and a physical examination, as well as the symptoms and the circumstances where the pain started. Magnetic resonance imaging can show damage to discs, but it alone cannot confirm degenerative disc disease.
This condition is called stenosis. Stenosis can cause pain and weakness in your arms and legs, in some cases resulting in your need for a cane, walker, or crutches.
People with degenerative disk disease should avoid slouching and a sedentary lifestyle. They should also refrain from exercise or activities that are high impact or involve heavy lifting. Many people experience lower back pain due to degenerative disk disease.
So what spine disorders qualify for disability? Common disabling spinal disorders include cervical spinal stenosis, lumbar spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, facet arthritis, spinal arachnoiditis, herniated discs, and vertebral fractures.
Collapsing Stage (Stage 4)
In the final stage of DDD, the spinal discs become dangerously thin and may become herniated, collapsed, and/or disintegrated. The severe pain felt during this stage often results from bone rubbing against bone or from herniated discs pushing into nerves.
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits with a back problem you must be able to to show that your back problem is so severe that you will be out of work for at least one year because of it.
Grade 1, normal shape, no horizontal bands, clear distinction of nucleus and annulus; grade 2, nonhomogeneous shape with horizontal bands, some blurring between nucleus and annulus; grade 3, nonhomogeneous shape with blurring between nucleus and annulus, annulus shape still recognizable; grade 4, nonhomogeneous shape ...
Long-term Outcomes of Degenerative Disc Disease
The degenerative process of the spinal disc may start gradually or suddenly, but progresses over 2 to 3 decades from severe and at times even disabling bouts of pain to a state in which the spine is restabilized and the pain is diminished.
Unfortunately, DDD does not go away. Just like aging, once your discs begin to degenerate, you can't reverse the process. However, the pain caused by DDD can be treated. DDD pain may flare up for several days or a few weeks.
For a vast majority of degenerative disc disease sufferers, the condition will eventually resolve itself. For a select few, however, the condition will continue to get worse and lead to reduced range of motion throughout the aging process.
They become dehydrated and are not as rubbery or soft. This leads to the disks shrinking and losing height. Often, the disks that are low in the spine degenerate first. As degeneration progresses further, the disks dry out even more and may begin pushing on nerves.
If back or neck pain caused by degenerative disc disease doesn't respond to medication or therapeutic injections, NYU Langone doctors may recommend a surgical procedure. Surgeons may remove some or all of a damaged disc, take pressure off a pinched nerve, or eliminate movement between the bones of the spine.
What Is the Most Approved Disability? Arthritis and other musculoskeletal system disabilities make up the most commonly approved conditions for social security disability benefits. This is because arthritis is so common. In the United States, over 58 million people suffer from arthritis.
The maximum SSDI will provide in back payments is 12 months. Your disability would have to start 12 months before you applied to receive the maximum in SSDI benefits.
If your chronic back pain is preventing you from performing the essential duties of your job, you may qualify for long-term disability (LTD). Chronic back pain is a common symptom. Spine injuries and other medical conditions can cause severe back pain.
Stage 3 – Stabilization
This condition, called spinal stenosis, triggers pressure that can cause limb pain, tingling, and numbness. During this stage, patients may find they lose control of the legs. Some patients will also lose the ability to close their eyes and know whether one of their limbs is raised or lowered.
DISC DEGENRATIVE DISEASE L4-L5 CAUSES
Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer of the disc – Pressure on the outer layer of a disc can result in the development of small tears. The jellylike material from inside the disc can then seep through these cracks – a condition known as a herniated disc.
Moderate, continuous low back pain.
Painful aches at the site of a damaged disc is the most common symptom of a degenerative disc. Pain may spread to the buttocks, groin, and upper thighs. This pain typically feels achy, dull, and can range from mild to severe.
There are many neck problems that qualify for disability benefits. Among those neck problems that qualify for disability per the SSA guidelines are degenerative disc disease (DDD), herniated discs, arthritis, whiplash, cervical spondylolisthesis, cervical retrolistheses, pinched nerves, cervical lordosis, and cancer.
To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, chronic back pain sufferers must prove they have a medically determinable impairment. Additionally, the impairment must last or be expected to last for a minimum of one year.
The average monthly SSDI benefits payment for arthritis is a lot less than the maximum—estimated to be $1,483 at January 2023. The SSA uses a method which is the same as that used for calculating retirement payments, although on average, disability benefit payments tend to work out to be less than retirement payments.