One disorder has been affecting women across the world, but many do not know what it is for a long time. The Times-Herald record got a question from one reader about Fibromyalgia and Fred Cicetti, healthcare writer and author of How to Be a Healthy Geezer, said it is not an easy disease to diagnose, as doctors must rely on symptoms. For this reason, it may be hard to immediately get Social Security disability benefits and a skilled attorney may be needed to assist.
“Fibromyalgia is not a disease. It’s a syndrome, which is a group of symptoms without a single cause,” Cicetti wrote on the website. “It is characterized by widespread pain, tenderness and fatigue. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include cognitive difficulties (“fibro fog”), sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, painful menstrual periods, numbness or tingling of the extremities, restless leg syndrome and sensitivity to heat, cold, noises and light.”
Cicetti said about 5 million people in the United states have this disease, and approximately 4 million of those are women, mostly in their middle age.
MedlinePlus said those with rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disease may be more likely to get fibromyalgia. It is something that can only be managed, not cured.
The attorneys at the law office of Harold W. Conick and Associates have successfully represented woman suffering from fibromyalgia for over 20 years. In the early days, the Social Security judges did not recognize the disabling nature of this syndrome and would often deny the claims at the hearing stage. We successfully appealed several such decisions to the appeals council and Federal court to obtain favorable outcomes for our clients .
