Fibromyalgia Disability Benefits: Application Guide

There is an illness that affects many people all over the United States. If you were to pass one of the people with this illness on the street, you would think that they were perfectly healthy. They do not look any different from other people. They have no symptoms which are apparent to the casual observer. They look like any average person without health problems. But if you were to look closer, you might notice the person's careworn face, the bags under their eyes thanks to lack of sleep, and the subtle grimace of pain on their face. These are sufferers of Fibromyalgia.

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What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that causes pain in the patient's body. Although it's not certain why some people contract fibromyalgia, there are some theories that there are contributing factors.

• Genetics: Because there is evidence that Fibromyalgia sometimes runs in the family, there may be mutations that cause a person to be susceptible to getting it sometime in life.
• Infections: Another contributing factor is infections and illnesses. Many people who were diagnosed with another disease seem to contract Fibromyalgia in the future
• Emotional or physical trauma: Studies have linked post-traumatic stress disorder to Fibromyalgia. When someone has gone through a lot of stress thanks to an event in their life, such as a divorce or a bad accident, this is sometimes something that will trigger Fibromyalgia.

Testing for Fibromyalgia

When a doctor, usually a rheumatologist, suspects that someone may have Fibromyalgia, they will run a group of blood tests on the person to rule out other things. Even though there isn't a blood test for Fibromyalgia, the symptoms that a person who has Fibromyalgia can be due to other illnesses that should be ruled out before the doctor tests the person for Fibromyalgia.

One of the tests that a doctor is going to do is a simple trigger point test that involves the doctor applying pressure on different parts of the patient's body. These areas usually do not cause pain when pressure is applied to someone who does not have fibromyalgia, but it's excruciating for someone who has it. There are 18 trigger points bilaterally on the body that a doctor will test. Usually, a person who experiences pain or tenderness in at least 11 points will classify as a fibromyalgia patient.

Symptoms and Problems Associated With Fibromyalgia

Although most people associate pain with the illness of Fibromyalgia, this is not the only problem that people with Fibromyalgia suffer, although that in itself is bad enough.

Fatigue

One of the things that many people who have Fibromyalgia have is fatigue. This fatigue is due to three main things that Fibromyalgia patients deal with daily.

• Pain: Whether people know it or not, it's very tiring having to deal with pain every day of your life. For a person with fibromyalgia, the pain that they feel is something that is constantly there. It may lessen and become less noticeable, but a person who has Fibromyalgia hardly ever feels 100% pain-free. Living with a chronic condition is very trying on the body and will tire the person out more.
• Restlessness: People with fibromyalgia often have trouble sleeping, despite being exhausted. They are plagued with restless leg syndrome, and they are unable to find a comfortable position to lie in.
• Depression: One of the things that can cause fatigue is depression. The person who is depressed does not feel like doing anything, they often feel like staying in bed, and they have no ambition.

Cognitive Problems

A second item that many people with fibromyalgia have problems with is a cognitive dysfunction or something that many people who have fibromyalgia call 'fibro fog.' This means they have trouble remembering things, much like an older person. They have trouble finding the words they want when they are going to say something, they have trouble reading and understanding, and they can space out from time to time. There have been speculations in the medical community that this may be caused by the lack of sleep that a patient with fibromyalgia can get.

Digestive Problems

Doctors have discovered that many people with fibromyalgia also have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This disorder causes different kinds of symptoms that vary from person to person. However, some of the most common symptoms that a patient with fibromyalgia may have are:

• Gas
• Mucus in stool
• Feeling bloated
• Cramping or pain in the abdomen
• Constipation or diarrhea - this can alternate in some patients

Facts about Fibromyalgia

• There is no cure. Although there are things that a patient with Fibromyalgia can do to lessen their symptoms, they will be living with this condition for the rest of their life unless a cure is found.
• It is a real disease as recognized by the Centers for Disease Control.
• Although it's an illness characteristically found in women, some men are diagnosed with it.

Medications Used for Fibromyalgia

• Pain medication: There are varying degrees of pain medication that are used for Fibromyalgia because there are varying degrees of pain that patients with Fibromyalgia have.
• Anti-depressants: Anti-depressants are often used for Fibromyalgia treatment. They help the person with Fibromyalgia sleep, and two, they treat their depression.
• Lyrica: Lyrica is the first medication that the FDA has approved for Fibromyalgia. Even though it's been approved for Fibromyalgia as well as other conditions, the advertisements and the website for Lyrica have said that it's not for everyone and that it can cause allergic reactions as well as some side effects, including swelling, weight gain, dizziness, and others.

Many patients diagnosed with Fibromyalgia find it difficult to work a regular job. However, they wish to have a normal life and have gainful employment. But there are quite a few reasons why Fibromyalgia patients find it hard to work.

• Constant pain: One of the biggest reasons it's hard for patients with Fibromyalgia to work is that they are always in pain. A patient with Fibromyalgia will feel different degrees of pain, but the pain is always there, and there's no telling how the patient will feel when they wake up in the morning.
• Cognitive problems: People with Fibromyalgia have trouble remembering things and concentrating, making it hard to have any job. Most jobs require being able to remember or concentrate, either to deal with customers, count money, or fill orders.
• Fatigue: Weariness and fatigue are two trademarks of Fibromyalgia, and they are two items that make it hard to work. Sleepless, restless nights are items that plague almost everyone that has Fibromyalgia.

Because many patients with the illness find it hard to work, they will usually try for long-term disability. But many times, they are rejected because some disability companies don't believe that fibromyalgia is a real disease. But there are some tips that patients with Fibromyalgia can use to increase their chances of getting long-term disability.

• Keep appointments: One of the biggest things that patients need to do is keep their appointments. This will show the insurance company that they are earnest about their condition. If an insurance company sees missing patient appointments or canceling them, they will find it hard to believe that the person is as sick as they claim to be.
• Keep a diary: Patients need to keep a diary of how the illness makes them feel. The diary should include how the illness affects their everyday life, including the fun things that the patient plans to do. The disability company needs to know that illness doesn't just affect the patient's ability to work; it affects their ability to do the things they love.
• Have a good doctor: Another important thing to have is a doctor who understands the illness and believes that it's a real illness. Even though it's an illness that the CDC recognizes, that doesn't mean that all the doctors recognize it as such.
• Speak to a psychiatrist: Since many patients with fibromyalgia are depressed due to their constant pain, speaking to a psychiatrist is good. It will show the disability company that the patient is seriously depressed and trying to get help.
• Have a Disability Insurance lawyer: Legal representation is something that a patient is trying to get a long-term disability will need. An experienced lawyer will be able to give the patient the advice that they will need and stand up for them in court. Even though the cost may be a consideration for some patients, many lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they will not be paid unless the case is won for the patient.

Even though Fibromyalgia is thought of as a pain condition, much more is involved. Patients with Fibromyalgia suffer digestive problems, cognitive problems, depression, and fatigue. They wake up every day not knowing how they will feel that day. It interrupts the patient's idea of a normal life, frustrates them, and upsets them because they cannot work and can't do anything fun either.

Patients with Fibromyalgia are often frustrated, depressed, and angry because of this disease. They are not lazy when they are trying to get long-term disability. They are simply trying to get some money to take care of their family and have money to make ends meet while at the same time dealing with a painful and debilitating disease.

About the Author

Gregory Dell is a nationally recognized disability insurance attorney representing disability insurance claimants at all stages of a claim for either short term or long term disability benefits. Mr. Dell and his team of lawyers represent disability claimants nationwide and have handled claims against every major disability insurance company. Mr. Dell is an author of a text book on disability insurance claims and is Vice Chair of the American Bar Association Health and Disability Insurance Law Committee.

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