How to Qualify for SSDI in Tampa with Fibromyalgia

Currently there is not an entry in the Social Security Disability’s Listing of Impairments (Blue Book) manual for the painful, often debilitating medical condition known as Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is also known as fibromyositis and Myofacial Pain Syndrome. Nevertheless, many claimants with fibromyalgia apply for disability and go on to win their SSDI benefits. For this reason, the fibromyalgia disability claimant who’s been denied should not throw in the towel; instead, they should pursue their disability claim through the appeals process with the aid of a qualified disability advocate, like those at Disability Experts of Florida.  Our advocates are experienced in dealing with claimants who have conditions like fibromyalgia, . They understand how the process works and what the SSA is looking for and how to better chart a course for sufferers who are seeking to improve their lives.

What the Tampa Fibromyalgia Sufferer can Do to Help Win Their SSD Case

1. Ensure that you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and that it is recorded in your medical records. All too often, the mere mention of a patient perhaps having fibromyalgia has been confused with an official diagnosis of the disorder. Double-check your medical records to make sure you have actually been diagnosed with the disease.
2. Get a referral to a specialist. We often see here in Tampa that a diagnosis of fibromyalgia from a primary care physician is not enough to convince those who determine disabilities at the SSA. Try to get a referral to a specialist like an orthopedist or a rheumatologist who can give you the same diagnosis. This is imperative. Often times, the evaluators at the SSA are suspicious of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia because they feel it is an umbrella diagnosis used to vaguely give cause to pain a patient might be suffering. In the eyes of the SSA, the value of the diagnosis has been diluted because fibromyalgia is very difficult to accurately diagnose. As a result, many patients have been left without SSDI. Your Disability Experts of Florida certified Social Security Disability advocate can work with you to help you better understand the power of having multiple doctors and specialists, and list affirmative diagnoses.
3. What is in your medical records? Find out! SSD cases are decided primarily on the information found in their medical records, therefore it is crucial that you know what’s in yours. Have you actually been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in Tampa, or has your doctor merely suggested that you might suffer from it? Your Disability Experts of Florida advocate will help you get your medical records before you begin the application process. It’s vital to review the information therein before proceeding.
4. Do not seek a diagnosis from a mental health professional. Like many family doctors and primary care physicians, psychiatrists often over-diagnose fibromyalgia. For this reason, the SSA evaluators view a psychiatrist’s diagnosis with, if not suspicion, at least skepticism. You might be surprised to find out that many patients who are diagnosed with depression get a dual diagnosis paired with fibromyalgia. It’s best to stick with the plan above: seek matching diagnoses from both a primary care doctor and a specialist.

Call us today for a free consultation. Don’t risk your future or your family’s future by trying to handle such complex issues yourself. Find a true advocate with us!