| Social Security has Impairment Listings for Heart | | | | with a fibromyalgia case, you will have to go to step |
| Ailments, Back Ailments, etc. Fibromyalgia is not found | | | | four. At step four the judge must decide if you can do |
| among the Impairment Listings. Thus, an applicant | | | | your past relevant work (PRW). This is any work you |
| cannot obtain a favorable disability "Impairment Listing" | | | | did in the past 15 years prior to your onset of disability. |
| ruling because Fibromyalgia is not found among the | | | | If the judge finds you cannot do PRW, then you go to |
| Listings. The inquiry must proceed further.Social | | | | step five which is can you do any other work in the |
| Security has a five step disabilty process. First, if you | | | | national economy. All my fibromyalgia cases have |
| are working, then the inquiry stops. Second, if you do | | | | gone to step five.Social Security has begun to |
| not have a "severe impairment," the inquiry stops. Third, | | | | recognize fibromyalgia as a legitimate impairment:On |
| if you are not working and you have a "severe | | | | May 11, 1998 the Deputy Commissioner for Disability |
| impairment" the next inquiry is does your "severe | | | | indicated as follows: Fibromyalgia is a disorder defined |
| impairment" meet or equal a Listed Impairment. You | | | | by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and |
| cannot win a fibromyalgia case at this step because | | | | we recognize it as medically determinable if there are |
| there is no listing for fibromyalgia although it can be a | | | | signs that are clinically established by the medical |
| "severe impairment" and get you past step two. Thus, | | | | record. The signs are primarily the tender points. |