April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, aimed at raising awareness for a disease that affects more than 1 million Americans.
According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF), approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year, while thousands of cases go undetected. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects a person’s central nervous system. It can cause issues with movement, including shaking and difficulty walking.
Unfortunately, there are no standard tests to diagnose a person with Parkinson’s, so a diagnosis is often made after a person speaks to a family physician or seeks help from a movement disorder specialist. According to the PDF, medical experts may rely on a neurological exam to determine if a person has Parkinson’s disease. Some of the things a doctor may look for during this exam include tremors from a person’s limbs, stiffness in a person’s neck, trouble rising from chairs and issues with balance.
Parkinson’s disease is troubling for people newly diagnosed with the disease as well as those who struggle daily with it. Parkinson’s often leaves its victims unable to work, but a person who meets the Social Security Disability Administration’s (SSA) criteria for defining Parkinson’s disease may be entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
In order to qualify for SSDI, a person with Parkinson’s may have to show that he or she regularly requires doctor visits and he or she may have to provide the SSA with medical documentation.
If you have questions about disability benefits and you have Parkinson’s disease, do not hesitate to contact our Tulsa Social Security Disability lawyers for a free evaluation of your case. You may also reach us by phone at (918) 265-1404.
Troutman & Troutman, P.C. – Tulsa Social Security Disability attorneys
Troutman Touts: Men are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease than women are.
