How Physical Therapists Can Help with Your Disability Claims
Seeking a physical therapist appointment could be necessary to treat your debilitating condition. They help restore movements and functions and reduce the discomforts you feel.
The thing is that they can also help you prepare for a disability benefits claim by providing vital documents and statements. It’s a great help, especially since the Social Security Administration (SSA) implements a highly demanding application process. You thus need as many supporting documents as possible to get the SSA approval.
This post explains the two different ways a physical therapist helps claim disability benefits.
Two Ways Physical therapists Help in Disability Benefits Claims
Physical therapists are accredited medical specialists, which means they can help with disability claims by:
1. Proving Treatment Efforts
A physical therapist can provide the correct treatments for different physical health problems:
- Musculoskeletal injury or ailments, like soft tissue damage
- Cardiovascular illnesses
- Pulmonary diseases
- Neurological disorders
They will manipulate particular body parts through proper techniques and induce healing. For example, they will stimulate an injured knee to restore movements.
Remember that the agency reasons a severe health problem needs treatment to reduce pain, restore functions, avoid complications, and improve healing. Thus, skipping prescribed treatment could prove your condition isn’t severe enough to qualify for disability.
The SSA considers physical therapy a valid treatment option for particular conditions. Therefore, getting physical therapy treatments could help prove your condition’s severity to the SSA.
You can also attach physical therapy with other treatment proofs in your application for better documentation. A Glendale Social Security benefits lawyer will help prepare these documents for you.
2. Releasing Medical Statements
A physical therapist can also release medical records to prove vital details about your condition, like:
- Overall description of the exact injury or ailment you have
- Symptoms you experience like pain and limited mobility
- Limitations your condition causes, like being unable to lift heavy objects or walk for a few hours
- Necessary treatment like physical therapy, medications, or surgery
Moreover, they will prove these two most crucial requirements for a health condition to qualify as a disability:
- Your injury or ailment will last for at least 12 months or cause your death
- Your condition prevents you from working full-time or earning enough income
It’s better to attach your physical therapist’s report to your physician’s statement to support your claim. Also, include laboratory test results as additional evidence, like x-ray results.
Tips for Asking a Physical Therapist to Help with a Disability Claim
Providing medical documents to support your disability claim means a physical therapist must prepare tons of paperwork for you. So, remember these tips when getting an appointment for them to help with your claim:
- Inform the physical therapist that you want to ask for help with your disability claim while setting an appointment. It helps the specialist prepare for your visit and efficiently provides the necessary documents.
- List down all the symptoms and limitations you experience on a piece of paper. Give the note to the therapist during your appointment so they can quickly check each point.
- Never exaggerate or lie about the symptoms to make your disability sound worse. The physical therapist will require further examinations to verify your claims.
Call a Social Security Benefits Attorney in Glendale to Prepare a Disability Claim
A physical therapist is a great help if your condition requires expertise. They can also help you claim disability benefits by supporting your application with expert statements.
You only have to arrange all your medical documents and submit them to the SSA for the application. A Glendale Social Security benefits lawyer will help handle all your requirements properly.