If you suffer from a hernia, you might be eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits. This is especially true if your doctor has placed permanent restrictions on you in the workplace.
The pain causes you to double over while at work. You grind it out daily until one day, the pain is strong enough to send you to a hospital for surgical care. You have suffered a hernia and now the question is when can you get back to work.
Like most medical conditions, a hernia does not unfold the same way among American workers. However, the one similarity that matters is the injury can keep a worker from making a living for weeks at a time.
Permanent Restrictions You May Experience with a Hernia
A hernia can trigger an intense amount of pain that makes it impossible to lift heavy objects. If you suffer from a hernia and your job requires a consistent amount of lifting, your physician might place a restriction on you at work when it comes to manual labor. A hernia can also obstruct bowel movements, which can also hinder your job performance.
Although a hernia can be a devastating injury to deal with at work, the surgery required to eliminate the potentially disabling condition can put you out of work for several months. During the first couple of weeks after hernia surgery, you cannot drive a motor vehicle, much less hold down a job that requires physical labor.
Medications can alleviate intense pain, but the side effects of most pain medicines negatively affect how you do your job. Although it is rare for a physician to issue permanent restrictions for a hernia, it is not unheard of for a worker to go without a steady income for up to six months after surgery for the injury.
Work History and Job Skills
Bridging the gap between no income and a return to work might require you to submit a claim for Social Security disability benefits. A team of medical examiners from the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews your claim to determine eligibility to receive financial assistance.
The SSA also examines your work history over the past 15 years to find common job skills that might transfer into another line of work. After surgery for a hernia, the SSA might ask you to complete a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment. An RFC assessment for a hernia puts you through a series of physical tests that measure your strength, stamina, and ability to cope with pain in the abdomen.
Can I Perform Sedentary Work?
Although a hernia is often not a permanent impairment, the effects of surgery can keep you off your feet for a considerable amount of time. The solution to not standing on the job is called sedentary work. Your doctor might recommend that you work at a desk until your hernia symptoms subside. If a hernia has created other long-term health issues, your physician might place permanent restrictions on you that ensure your job does not require much standing on a daily basis.
Fill out the a Free Case Evaluation
Because a hernia can produce life-altering financial consequences, getting financial assistance from the SSA should be your main focus. A Social Security lawyer may help you file a claim that includes convincing medical documentation about why a hernia has forced you out of work.
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