Can You Get Disability For Foot Problems?

Foot problems are extremely common in the US. However, some foot problems can make you unable to do work. But can you get disability for foot problems? Yes, if the problem is severe, you can. Let’s find out which foot problems are eligible.

Our foot takes a lot of stress during walking running, climbing, and jumping. So, it is subjected to various foot problems like Bunion, Plantar fasciitis, Claw toe, and various others. It’s estimated that 75 percent of Americans experience foot problems at some point in their life.

Foot problems make it hard to walk and interfere with essential daily activities like climbing stairs. You can also have issues maintaining stability. So decrease in mobility can increase the chances of obesity, heart disease, weakness, and others.

If foot problems become intense and you cannot work anywhere for 12 months or more, you can apply for disability benefits. In this article, we discuss how to make your disability application for foot problems. So, you can continue reading the article for more information.

Can You Get Disability For Foot Problems?

Yes, you can get Social Security disability benefits for foot problems. However, your foot problems should be severe enough that hinders your ability to continue your work life for one year. 

Additionally, you should have sufficient medical evidence to support your claim. You may also provide missed days on the job because of foot problems as evidence for positive results.

Veterans also receive disability benefits if foot problems like Pes planus, Plantar Fasciitis, Bunion, and arthritis have been affected during the military service.

You might also like to read: Can You Get Disability If You’ve Never Worked?

Can You Get Disability For Osteoarthritis Of The Feet?

Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the flexible tissues at the bones end start to wear down with time. It is pretty painful and exhausting to lead a life with Osteoarthritis. Some people can even hear grating noise while moving their feet. 

The most common signs and symptoms of people diagnosed with Osteoarthritis include swelling, stiffness, and difficulty in walking. Osteoarthritis can significantly affect your work life and mobility, making you depressed.

If Osteoarthritis is severe, you cannot continue working in any organization. While you will not find a separate listing of Osteoarthritis in SSA, you can get financial help from Social Security Disability program. 

You can find it under section 1.00 musculoskeletal disorder. You need to fill out the application form online or by visiting your local Social Security office. Moreover, you need to provide medical proof to get disability benefits. 

Your doctor should also fill Residual function capacity form. Your doctor will explain your symptoms and how they hinder your work life in the RFC form. The RFC form needs to be submitted during the SSDI application.

The medical proof includes the following

• Medical History
• Treatment history
• Past hospitalizations
• Lab results like CT scans and X-ray

If osteoarthrosis has been the reason for your depression and anxiety, then mention it in the paperwork. The Social Security Administration will evaluate the combined effects while providing you disability benefits.

If you are applying for the Social Security disability benefits for the first time, the process may be complicated. If you are confused about the process, it’s better to hire a disability attorney. 

It will save your time and energy, and you will have hope for positive results. The Social security disability benefits are a lifeline for you if you cannot continue your work because of Osteoarthritis or other foot problems.

The disability benefits can relieve some of your financial burdens because of medical treatment and care needed for Osteoarthritis.

You might also like to read: Can You Get Disability For Spondylosis?

Can You Get Disability For A Broken Femur?

The femur or thigh bone is the longest and strongest bone in your body. It even helps support a lot of muscles, tendons, and other parts of the circulatory system.

If you have a fracture in the femur, then you can be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. SSA will pay disability benefits if you have earned enough credits and paid enough taxes to the SSA.

The Bluebook lists special bones in the foot, pelvis, and leg under section 1.06(lower extremity fracture). It requires a break in the femur along with the following conditions.

• The imagining proves that there the bone is not healing.
• Inability to walk for 12 months.
• Physical exam in which doctor diagnoses that your thigh bone has not reunited

SSA will make a determination of disability and pay you disability benefits if your fracture in the femur has not healed for six months. The doctor even says that there is no chance of healing thigh bone or femur for at least one year. The doctor needs to provide evidence to support your claim. 

Don’t forget to give all medical documentation, including X-rays and other images like MRIs and others, for proof. The SSA process is a bit complicated. You may get denied to receive benefits two to three times. You can file an appeal to provide some more proof.

Can You Get Disability For Bunions?

A bunion is a bump on the base of the toe. It usually occurs when some bone parts of your foot move out of their place. The big toe starts getting pulled towards the smaller toes, and you will find difficulty in moving your big toe. The corn or calluses can also develop when your big toe constantly rubs with the second toe.

Unfortunately, you cannot get disability benefits for bunions, simply because there is an easy surgery to remove the bunion and restore your foot, so that you can do your tasks again.

If you are a Veteran, you are fortunate to get disability benefits for Bunion. However, you need to prove that Bunion has occurred during your service time, hindering your military service.

When the Department of Veteran Affairs reviews your claim, they will set an appointment with you to give a compensation hearing. 

There will be a medical exam in which the doctors will examine your foot condition and ask questions like when the foot issues like has started Bunion and severity of Bunion during military service, and how the problems are currently affecting you. The doctors may take an X-ray of your foot.

After the medical exam, the doctors add their views to the disability claim. The Board reviews the information provided by the doctors and decides whether you will get disability benefits or not. You can appeal the decision if the Board denies giving disability benefits. 

Can You Get Disability For Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis is a ligament that connects from the heel to the front of your foot. This ligament usually experiences wear and tear in your everyday life. But too much pressure can worsen the conditions, like tearing the ligament. The pain becomes worse when you put the first few steps in the morning or if you stand for a long time.

Fortunately, you can get legal disability benefits for having plantar Fasciitis. The Social Security Bluebook does not list separately for plantar Fasciitis. But you can benefit under section 1.02 (Dysfunction of joint).

So, to receive disability benefits from Social Security Administration, you need to have the following conditions.

• Plantar Fasciitis should be severe that it becomes impossible to continue your work life.
• You need to show that plantar Fasciitis was so severe that it prevented you from working in your organization for one year.
• The doctor should officially diagnose Plantar Fasciitis, and an official doctor should document all the documents.
• If you are above 50 years, there is a greater chance of your claim getting approved by SSA.

If you think that your plantar Fasciitis can be considered a disability by SSA, then your first duty should be to talk to your doctor. 

You need to keep all the medical records and the days when you could not go to work because of the severity of the disease or any other evidence that proves that plantar Fasciitis has impacted your life.

Some application forms are denied to get disability benefits by SSA. Fortunately, can claim for disability compensation through another route. You can apply under Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) under Social Security Administration (SSA). 

The employees of SSA will look at your medical documents, limitations, and how the foot pain is affecting your daily life. Again, if you are a veteran and diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, you may benefit from the veteran Board members.

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Can You Get Disability For Tendonitis?

Tendonitis refers to inflammation in any of the tendons in your foot. The symptoms of tendonitis include the following.

• Formation of extra bone near the tendon
• Foot pain getting worsens with physical activity
• Swelling around tendon
• Tendon getting thick
• Severe pain at the site of the tendon

Sometimes the tendonitis becomes severe that the tendons in your foot may rupture. You will find it challenging to put your steps or have difficulty in walking. Fortunately, you can claim for disability compensation for having foot tendonitis. 

But to get benefits from SSA, you need to prove that tendonitis is severe enough at least for a year and hinders you from working in your organization. Simultaneously you need to provide lab tests, X-rays, and other documents which prove that tendonitis is severe in your case. You may also show proof of missed days in your work for positive results.

Veterans whose tendonitis is a service-connected disability can also get disability insurance or compensation. You will need three things to get Veteran disability benefits. I am listing them below.

• Your doctor has recently diagnosed tendonitis.
• Description of all the events in the military service that led to tendonitis.
• Letter from a doctor that confirms that you have developed tendonitis at the time of service.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Few Final Words

The foot is an intricate part of our body because it consists of 26 bones,30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. All the muscles, ligaments, and bones work together and aid us in jumping, walking, running, etc. 

But you may have joint problems because of excess stress. However, if the foot problem is severe and you cannot continue your work life for one year, then you can apply for disability benefits. We thank you for reading this article and hope you like it. 

Thank you for reading the article, we hope we were able to answer all your questions. If you have any further doubts, please write to us in the comments section.