Fibromyalgia is an invisible disability. Those who live with this painful condition experience continuous symptoms of pain and discomfort. And while the pain is genuine, there is no lab or imaging test to diagnose it. Doctors identify fibromyalgia based on each patient’s reporting of symptoms and physical exam.

This is one of several reasons fibromyalgia is difficult to get approved for disability benefits from Social Security, your insurance company, or the VA. These disability cases can be won when the symptoms and the functional effects are adequately presented and made clear to your disability claim examiner. How can you win Social Security Disability benefits for fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is not clearly listed in the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. For medical evidence, the SSA will accept either of two sets of criteria published by the American College of Rheumatology for diagnosing fibromyalgia.

To qualify for disability based on fibromyalgia, you must have a well-documented and extensive medical history showing your struggles with the condition. Your claim must contain detailed documentation from your doctors with the specific symptoms that prevent you from being able to work. SSA will ask you to undergo evaluations to meet the criteria for identifying fibromyalgia, such as

• A history of widespread pain

• Showing that you have at least 11 defined tender points in your body or

• Repeated occurrences of six or more fibromyalgia symptoms, including fatigue, memory problems, sleep problems, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome. To consider you totally disabled, the Social Security Administration must find that:

• You cannot do work that you did before, and cannot adjust to new work, and

• Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death

By working closely with a qualified disability lawyer, you will be able to present the necessary documentation to support a Social Security disability claim.

Was your long-term disability claim for fibromyalgia denied by your insurance company?

Common reasons for claim denial include assertions that fibromyalgia is treatable and therefore not disabling. Our firm has years of experience representing fibromyalgia claims against insurance companies. We are prepared for their tactics and methods to avoid paying claims. If you have been wrongfully denied, we can appeal the denial and help you fight back. For Gulf War Veterans, fibromyalgia is a presumptive disorder. As such, qualifying veterans do not have to prove an association between fibromyalgia and their military service. Our accredited veterans’ attorneys can help you understand VA’s requirements regarding fibromyalgia and represent you throughout your claim. For more information, download one or all of our free ebooks.

• The Social Security Disability Puzzle: How to Fit the Pieces Together and Win Your Claim

• Veterans Disability Claims: Strategies for a Winning Campaign &

• Disability Insurance Policies: