Can I Get Social Security Disability for Fibromyalgia in Wisconsin?

How to Qualify for Social Security Disability with Fibromyalgia

Over 4 million adults in the United States have fibromyalgia, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No one knows what causes it.

Because it was so difficult to explain and prove, the Social Security Administration (SSA) used to deny disability benefits for a fibromyalgia diagnosis.

The SSA changed its position in 2012, ruling that fibromyalgia can be severe enough to make working impossible—which is the core qualification for Social Security Disability benefits.

Social Security’s ruling said this is what you need to qualify for disability with fibromyalgia:

• Symptoms that match the 2010 American College of Rheumatology Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria for fibromyalgia, or the 1990 American College of Rheumatology Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia

• Medical evidence, including a diagnosis of fibromyalgia from a doctor

• Medical records from your doctor visits and treatment that back up your diagnosis 

Medical evidence is vital to every Social Security Disability claim.

When you work with a disability lawyer, you get someone to organize your doctor’s reports, test results and treatment history in a way that explains to Social Security why you should receive financial assistance—financial assistance that was meant for people who face health-driven limitations to their ability to make a living.  

When you’re applying for disability, Geary Disability Law will handle the legwork for you.

Symptoms that Can Go Into Your Social Security Disability Claim for Fibromyalgia

The medical evidence you submit needs to show symptoms such as these:

• Pain at multiple points on your body, including your head, neck, shoulders, ribs, hips, and knees
• Sleep problems
• Problems focusing, which people sometimes call “fibro fog”
• Headaches
• Debilitating fatigue
• Digestive problems
• Mental health problems, including anxiety and depression

Your symptoms must be severe enough to interfere with your ability to function in everyday life.

You’ll need your doctor to check the multiple sensitive spots on your body and record where you have pain.

Getting ongoing, thorough medical care is another key ingredient for your Social Security Disability case. That’s how you produce the medical evidence that proves your claim.

Your disability attorney can also help guide you in getting the kind of care that supports your disability application.

When you have fibromyalgia, you can—and should—get support to make your life less stressful.

Let’s get started.