If you or someone you know has Parkinson’s disease (PD) you are not alone. In the United States, 50,000-60,000 new cases of PD are diagnosed each year, adding to the one million people who currently have PD. The Center for Disease control rated complications from Parkinson’s disease as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, it is estimated that four to six million people suffer from the condition.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people. What this means is that individuals with PD will be living with PD for twenty years or more from the time of diagnosis. While Parkinson’s disease itself is not fatal, the Center for Disease Control rated complications from the disease as the 14th top cause of death in the United States.

Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of one or more joints.  Symptoms include joint pain and stiffness and these symptoms generally worsen as you age.  There are several different types of arthritis, affecting people in different ways.  The types of arthritis that our office has seen include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disorder consisting of constant debilitating pain in several “trigger points,” or areas of generalized pain and tenderness. In order to be considered for the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, one must exhibit pain to light palpation in 11 of 18 trigger points. Unfortunately, it is unknown what causes fibromyalgia, although several factors are considered including weight, gender, age, and genetics. We often see insurance companies deny claims because of fibromyalgia, citing a lack of objective evidence. While objective evidence generally does not exist in these cases, our office has multiple arguments against the insurance company’s insistence on objective evidence to grant benefits.

Multiple Sclerosis is referred to as an immune-mediated disease which affects the Central Nervous System (CNS).  While certain specialists believe MS is an autoimmune disease, other specialists disagree because it is unknown which specific part of the immune system is being attacked by the disease.  Symptoms of MS can range from mild to severe and can include numbness and tingling in the limbs, to even paralysis and loss of vision.  When a patient has Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin – the fatty sheath protecting the nerve fibers in the CNS – is damaged.  This damaged myelin is called “sclerosis.”  Myelins surrounding several different nerves are affected, thus the name Multiple Sclerosis.
There are four different courses of Multiple Sclerosis: Relapsing-Remitting MS; Primary-Progressive MS; Secondary-Progressive MS; and Progressive-Relapsing MS.   The most common symptoms of MS include fatigue, numbness, gait and balance problems, vision problems, vertigo, pain, cognitive dysfunction, and depression.  There are, however, several less common symptoms and you should make sure you cover all symptoms with your physician.

Various types of physical and mental conditions can qualify for coverage under disability benefits, with some of these including:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Headaches/Migraines
• Crohn’s Disease
• Back Conditions
• Cardiovascular Disease
• More…