The U.S. Government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) as a serious health concern, citing data showing that approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. TBI is caused by an impact to, or penetration of, the head. This impact or penetration will often cause brain dysfunction.
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Many people feel anxiety before their Social Security disability hearing. Disability benefits are often the last hope for people struggling with both financial difficulties and health problems. Some people expect the hearing to be formal and austere, like court room scenes from Law and Order. The truth, however, is that most hearings are somewhat informal,
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Many individuals with HIV/AIDS are able to work and perform normal daily activities for many years after their initial diagnoses. For this reason, a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS alone is usually not sufficient to prevail in a claim for Social Security disability benefits. As with most impairments and diseases, a specific degree of severity is required
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Fibromyalgia is a disease that causes widespread pain and tenderness. The pain and tenderness tend to fluctuate, and they can afflict different parts of the body at different times. People suffering from chronic Fibromyalgia are fatigued and frequently suffer sleep problems. They also report issues with memory and clear thinking known as “Fibro Fog.” Fibromyalgia
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The two most common cardiovascular ailments evaluated for disability by Social Security judges are ischemic heart disease and chronic heart failure. The most objective measure that judges rely on in assessing the severity of the cardiac impairment is the Exercise Tolerance (or “Stress”) Test (“ETT”). ETTs measure the claimant’s aerobic abilities: their ability to walk
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A different procedure is followed for evaluating Social Security disability claims alleging psychiatric or mental impairments than that which is followed for claims based on physical or exertional limitations. As with claims based on physical limitations, any disability evaluation will focus on whether the impairment precludes the claimant from engaging in meaningful work activity. For
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