If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), you’ll need to be patient if you expect to receive Social Security disability benefits, and you’ll need help from an experienced Social Security disability attorney. While Social Security usually doesn’t often approve CTS cases initially, applicants frequently win disability benefits on appeal.
CTS occurs when swelling puts pressure on the median nerve, a nerve in the wrist that provides feeling to parts of the hand. Repetitive hand and wrist movements like typing are the most common cause of CTS. Other causes are wrist injuries and diseases like arthritis or lupus. CTS symptoms include weakness in the hand, numbness, or tingling in the thumb, fingers, and palm, difficulty moving fingers, difficulty gripping or carrying items, and pain in the arm, wrist, and hand. Treatment can include a splint on the wrist, ergonomic changes to your work environment, and medications. Surgery to cut the ligament pressuring the nerve can be performed if other treatments don’t work, but surgery may not improve symptoms when CTS is caused by a disease like rheumatoid arthritis.
How a Skilled Attorney Can Strengthen Your CTS Disability Claim
To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must show that your condition meets the criteria in one of the SSA’s impairment listings, that your symptoms are substantially equal to a listed impairment, or that your limitations prevent you from performing any work.
While there is no specific listing for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), cases involving nerve damage may fall under peripheral neuropathy. If CTS causes significant loss of wrist or hand function, it may qualify under the soft tissue injury listing. CTS can also be a symptom of other listed conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, or kidney failure.
Applying for disability benefits with CTS requires strong documentation. An experienced Social Security disability attorney can enhance your case with expert testimony, thorough evidence, and step-by-step guidance through the application and appeals process. If CTS prevents you from working, contact an experienced Social Security disability attorney promptly to pursue the benefits you deserve.