Polymyositis Social Security Benefits

What is Polymyositis?

Polymyositis is a kind of inflammatory myopathy, a group of muscular illnesses characterized by chronic inflammation and weakening of the muscles. Polymyositis affects the skeletal muscles (those responsible for movement) on both sides of the body. While there is a chance the condition can affect persons of any age, the majority of cases occur in adults between the ages of 31 and 60. The condition is more prevalent in women and black people.

Polymyositis’s etiology is unknown. Numerous aspects of the condition are similar to those of autoimmune disorders, which develop when the immune system erroneously assaults healthy bodily components. The condition may be related with viral infections, connective tissue abnormalities, or an increased risk of developing malignancies in some situations (cancer). A clinical examination is used to make the diagnosis, which may include laboratory testing, imaging investigations, electromyography, and a muscle biopsy. Although polymyositis is incurable, therapy with corticosteroids or immunosuppressants can significantly improve muscular strength and function.

Polymyositis is a persistent inflammatory and weakening of the skeletal muscles (those responsible for movement) on both sides of the body. Typically, weakness begins in the proximal muscles (those closest to the chest and abdomen, such as muscles of the upper arm and shoulder and the upper leg and hip). Polymyositis symptoms might continue to develop for weeks or months after the condition manifests. Muscle weakness can make it more difficult to climb stairs, rise from a seated posture, lift objects, and reach aloft. In some situations, as the condition advances, the distal muscles (those located further away from the chest and abdomen, including the lower arms, hands, lower legs, and feet) may also be affected.

Polymyositis may also cause arthritis, shortness of breath, trouble eating and speaking, mild joint or muscle soreness, weariness, and cardiac arrhythmias. Polymyositis patients may have an increased chance of developing cancer.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits While Suffering from Polymyositis Diagnosis

The Social Security Administration has designated polymyositis as one of the illnesses that can qualify a person for Social Security Disability Income benefits. The SSA describes the criteria they employ to evaluate the impact of the disease and determine whether or not disability benefits are needed in the Autoimmune Diseases section of their impairment listing manual (alternatively dubbed the “Blue Book”). These criteria include the following:

  • Insufficiency of the pelvis, hips, or shoulders resulting in an inability to walk or perform both big and minor motions successfully (at a particular severity level), or
  • Difficulty swallowing due to muscular weakness that results in aspiration into the lungs;
  • Breathing difficulties due to diaphragm or intercostal muscle weakness;
  • Calcium deposits that impair joint mobility or intestinal function; Repeated polymyositis symptoms, including at least two constitutional symptoms and one of the following:
    1. Consequences for regular activity
    2. The effect on social function
    3. Inability to concentrate or focus has a detrimental effect on one’s ability to complete.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (or MRI) can be used to detect muscular inflammation, weakness, and calcium deposits in polymyositis. Electromyography is a technique for determining the electrical activity of muscles. Muscle biopsies may be required to detect microscopic abnormalities within cells in the muscle. Blood tests can be used to detect changes in enzyme levels or antibody levels that may indicate the presence of disease. Bear in mind that diagnosing Polymyositis can be a lengthy and aggravating process.

Along with demonstrating your medical condition, you must also have worked for at least five of the last ten years and paid FICA taxes. If you do not have enough job credits to qualify for SSI, you may still qualify if you fulfill the maximum asset requirements.

Your Disability Case Due to Polymyositis

If you have been considered disabled due to Polymyositis and meet the bluebook’s criteria and are unable to work due to the disease’s effect on your health, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Income benefits. Due to the difficulty of the application and approval processes, you would be advisable to obtain the counsel of a skilled Social Security Disability attorney.

While filling out some application papers may not appear to be a difficult task, the reality is that less than a third of first-time disability benefit applications are granted. Worse yet, many of those applicants are legitimately entitled to benefits, but their applications contain errors or omissions, or certain supporting papers are missing, resulting in their case being refused. There is an appeals process, but because almost two-thirds of cases wind up there, it is extremely lengthy and slow. A Social Security Disability attorney has the skills and experience essential to complete all of your application paperwork correctly the first time, ensuring that you do not end up waiting longer than necessary for benefits.