Literally.
Pound! Zing! Lightning flash! Turn off the lights, quiet the noise, lay down and hope it goes away.
If you suffer from chronic headaches or migraines, you CAN apply for disability benefits. But just like those headaches, the process can be painful, aggravating, and feel like it will never end.
Proving disability based on headaches or migraines isn’t easy, but the following suggestions can drastically improve your chances.
- First, keep a headache log. Write down when your headaches happen, how long they last, what may have triggered them, and what provided you any relief. Share it with your doctor.
- Second, see a neurologist for a diagnosis. Seeing a specialist who confirms a diagnosis for a specific type of headache will hold greater weight with SSA than your primary care doctor’s evaluation.
- Third, get tested. Testing can include CT or MRI scans of the head or sinuses, bloodwork or urinalysis, lumbar puncture, EEG, and/or eye examinations.
- Fourth, documented observation of a headache. If possible, have anyone who witnesses your headaches write down their observations and share those with your doctors.
- Fifth, take your medications. Your doctors may make changes to your medications based on how much or little they are helping you, or if they are giving your serious other side effects you cannot tolerate.
If your headaches or migraines have kept you from working for more than a year, and you have had little relief despite use of medications, don’t despair! Legal professionals who help claimants such as yourself quality for Social Security Disability benefits understand how disabling chronic headaches can be and have ways to help you with your claim.
