Social Security Disability with peripheral neuropathy

How Social Security evaluates peripheral neuropathy

Social Security first checks whether the condition meets a medical Listing, but most cases do not turn on the Listing. They turn on the severity shown in the medical evidence and are usually decided on residual functional capacity — what a person can still do despite the condition. For neuropathy, that means standing and walking tolerance, balance and fall risk, and the handling and fingering the hands can still sustain, measured against full-time work. Approval depends on more than a diagnosis — we must demonstrate the severity and duration of your symptoms, how they affect everyday activities, and your ability to work.

Evidence that matters

• Nerve conduction studies or EMG, and exam findings on sensation, strength, reflexes, and gait.
• The underlying diagnosis and its treatment record (diabetic control, chemotherapy history, or other cause).
• Documentation of falls, the use of a cane or walker, or dropped-object and grip problems.
• A treating physician's statement on standing, walking, balance, and hand use.

Representation

Representation gets the objective testing into the file, ties the exam findings to specific limits on the feet and hands, and argues them against the vocational testimony — particularly where the past work or the jobs cited require sustained standing or fine manipulation. Denials that ignore documented deficits can be appealed to federal court.