Peripheral Neuropathy

What Are the Disabling Symptoms of Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy symptoms can vary depending on the progression of the disease. The most common disabling symptoms are from motor nerve damage, sensory motor damage, and autonomic sensory damage.

The symptoms of motor damage include:

• Muscle weakness
• Painful cramps
• Shrinkage of the size of your muscles
• Uncontrolled muscle twitching

The symptoms of sensory damage include:

• Decrease in the sensation of touch
• Loss of reflexes
• Interference with the ability to feel pain or changes in temperature
• Oversensitivity to touch

The symptoms of autonomic nerve damage include:

• Inability to sweat normally
• Loss of bladder control
• Inability to control the muscles that regulate blood pressure
• Problems eating or swallowing

It is important that your medical records document your symptoms and how those symptoms impact your ability to function. This is particularly true since you may have been working with difficulty but now find it hard to continue. The disability carrier will want to know what has changed and what caused you to file for disability.

Your symptoms may progress slowly, but it is important to chart that progression and how your symptoms impact your ability to function. The progression must be documented in your medical records.

Keep a peripheral neuropathy diary that notes how you feel, the nature of your symptoms, and how the symptoms impacted your ability to function. Make sure that your entries are consistent with the policy definition of disability and occupation.

Your policy may define your occupation as how that occupation is performed in the national economy and not how you perform your occupation for your employer. Regardless of how your occupation is defined, make sure your entries give concrete examples of how your symptoms impact your ability to do the material and substantial duties of your occupation.

Make sure that your physician also has an accurate description of the physical and cognitive requirements of your occupation so they can accurately comment on your abilities to perform those duties.

Be sure to give your physician a copy of the diary with the entries between each visit. This diary can show the progression and impact of your symptoms.

How Do I Get the Disability Insurance Benefits I Deserve?

Peripheral neuropathy can interfere with your daily activities and your ability to work. If you can no longer work, or your doctor has told you to apply for disability, you should do the following before you apply for benefits:

1. Obtain a copy of your disability policy and see how your policy defines “disability,” “occupation,” and “self-reported conditions.” You’ll need to understand what you have to prove and whether there are any limitations in your coverage. Some policies consider peripheral neuropathy without objective findings to be a subjective condition and limit benefits to just two years. You need to know about any applicable policy limits before you apply for benefits.
2. Obtain a copy of your medical records and review those records to see if there is any objective basis for your diagnosis, what your records say about your report of symptoms, and your restrictions and limitations. One of the most common reasons for denial is the claim that there is “no objective evidence to support your subjective complaints.” Your physician might have noted that you were feeling better or had fewer problems functioning. These entries must be addressed before your application is filed or during the appeal process if your claim has been denied. The disability carrier will often make a leap of logic and conclude that the policyholder is either exaggerating or faking their symptoms. Nancy knows what proof is necessary to meet the disability policy definition of disability.
3. Obtain a copy of your personnel file to see whether your peripheral neuropathy has affected your performance.
4. Obtain a copy of your job description and create your own description of your physical and cognitive duties with an explanation of how your symptoms impact your ability to do your occupation. Don’t forget to explain what activities increase your symptoms.
5. Provide your doctor with the occupational description. Ask your doctor to prepare a report that explains the objective basis for your diagnosis, the objective basis of your restrictions and limitations, and the objective reasons you can’t perform some or all of the material and substantial duties of your occupation. If your physician won’t cooperate or doesn’t support your claim, it might be time to find another physician.
6. Prepare a diary that explains your symptoms and any side effects of medication. Be sure to give examples of how your symptoms interfere with your ability to do things on a daily basis.
7. Hire Nancy Cavey to help you file your initial application. The application process is confusing and designed so that you and your physician make mistakes that can result in a delay or even a denial of your benefits. She will work closely with your neurologist to make sure your records reflect the progression of the peripheral neuropathy and your symptoms. She will also make sure that all APS forms are completed correctly by your physician. She knows how to prepare and file a winning shock-and-awe disability application that leaves the carrier little reason to question your claim.
8. Hire Nancy Cavey to appeal a wrongful denial or termination of your disability benefits. Disability carriers are in the business of collecting premiums and not paying disability benefits. As a result, they’ll use any reason to deny your peripheral neuropathy claim. The odds are that your chances of getting your benefits on appeal are greater when you are represented by an experienced ERISA / private ID policy disability attorney.

Disability carriers are notorious for denying and terminating many claims.

Common arguments disability carriers make include:

1. Coverage is excluded because of the pre-existing condition clause.
2. Benefits are limited under the subjective limitation clause in your disability policy. Numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and even a distorted sense of touch can be the most disabling symptoms you have, but carriers routinely dispute the impact of those symptoms.
3. You have had peripheral neuropathy for years and have not been disabled before now. You will have to overcome the carrier’s argument that you have been working with these problems for years and nothing has changed. It is crucial that your medical records develop the progression of your symptoms.
4. Your symptoms are varied and intermittent.
5. Your complaints of motor nerve damage such as weakness, sensory nerve damage such as stocking-glove sensation, and autonomic damage such as heat intolerance are just subjective complaints. You don’t have any objective testing that supports your complaints.

As a result, many disability claims for peripheral neuropathy are denied. Carriers have other reasons to deny claims and they’ll say:

1. There is no objective basis for the diagnosis, like an EMG or nerve conduction study, particularly in the early stages of the neuropathy.
2. There is no objective basis for the restrictions and limitations assigned by your physician because of your peripheral neuropathy.
3. There is no causal relationship between your peripheral neuropathy and / or your restrictions and limitations and your inability to perform your own or any occupation.

Nancy understands all these objections and works to overcome the claims denial by working closely with you and your physician. She will work with your physician to overcome those objections, and if necessary, also obtain a functional capacity evaluation and a vocational evaluation. She has seen firsthand the devastating effects of peripheral neuropathy and understands what it takes to get you the benefits you deserve.

Contact Disability Attorney Nancy L. Cavey Who Can Help You Regardless of Where You Live

Peripheral neuropathy can make it difficult, if not impossible, to work. You owe it to yourself and your family to get help today. Nancy can review your policy, your medical records, and explain to you what your policy says and how to get your disability benefits. Call today for a free consultation at 727-894-3188.