Back surgeries do not always result in a complete cure of your pain and limitation of movement. Sometimes you are left with a manageable level of residual pain and sometimes, your surgery leaves you no better off than you were before. If your back surgery was not successful in resolving your complaints of pain and your doctors are telling you that you have developed arthritis in your back (sometimes called osteophytes) and that you are not a candidate for a second surgery, you may have failed back syndrome.
As discussed here, back pain cases are probably the most common medical issue seen by Social Security judges, so in order to win, your case needs to stand out. Presenting evidence that you have a failed back greatly improves your chances.
Disability claimants with failed backs often get approved quickly by Social Security. If you have been referred to a pain management physician and are receiving narcotic pain medications for chronic, intractable pain, it is unlikely that you have the capacity to perform reliably at a job. While failed back claimants should be approved early, too many of these cases slip through the cracks and they end up in my office where I have to present these cases to an adminitrative law judge at a hearing. If you find yourself in this situation, please call me at 770-393-4985.
In the video below I discuss more about failed back syndrome and how I approach failed back cases.