When people suffer a disability through an illness or an unexpected accident, it is not uncommon for them to apply for financial assistance through the Social Security Disability program. However, what many people may not know is that they might be able to receive benefits for a disability that stems from an old injury.
Brain injuries
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, one of the most complicated injuries that a person can receive is a brain injury. Research has shown that no two brain injuries are ever alike. This is because the brain itself is divided into portions that control motor function, thinking, personality, language and the very systems that keep a person alive. The strength of the impact, the location of the impact, the person’s age, and even the type of object or accident that caused the injury can influence the type of damage and long-term effects that occur.
While someone may seem to recover from a number of concussions or a traumatic brain injury, these injuries can heighten a person’s risk for disability later in life. Old brain injuries have been tied to degenerative brain disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, stroke and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Back injuries
For people who are active in sports, have a physically demanding job, or are just working on the roof of their home, suffering a back injury is a real possibility. These people may suffer a fall that doesn’t cause serious problems, yet they experience continuous bouts of back pain. Multiple visits to a physician, physical therapy and even medication may help alleviate the pain for a number of years but then, over time the pain becomes more problematic.
Eventually, some back injuries can cause additional health conditions later in life with bulging disks, strained muscles and compressed vertebrae. These problems can be become so severe that people are left unable to engage in any type of activity. As a result, they may be unable to work and find themselves in need of financial assistance.
Joint injuries
Sports players and people who work in construction often suffer injury to their joints from a fall or trip. Over a period of months this injury appears to heal, enabling people to go about their regular activities. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that injuries to joints have been tied to certain types of arthritis. Arthritis is often manageable through medication but over time, it can become a crippling disability, leaving victims in constant pain and discomfort.
An injury to the body often has the potential to cause physical problems years later. For people who have become disabled from an old injury, Social Security Disability may be able to provide them with financial support.
