Is Spondylosis a Disability? How to Get Disability for Spondylosis

If your back routinely hurts and you’re over 40, then you may have spondylosis, a medical term for arthritis along your spine. In fact, at least one form of spondylosis affects nearly everyone aged 65 and older in the United States. But if back pain’s making your job harder, is spondylosis a disability in the eyes of the federal government? In other words, does it qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA)? In some cases, yes… but not all.

With professional claim help, it’s much easier to get Social Security disability for spondylosis. However, your diagnosis alone isn’t enough to qualify for benefits. Keep reading to understand what the SSA looks for, why you likely need claim representation, average pay amounts, and more helpful tips.

Social Security Disability Benefits for Spondylosis: Key Takeaways

• Spondylosis is another word for spinal arthritis, a degenerative condition that may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
• As your condition progresses, your symptoms may become severe enough to prevent you from working enough hours to support yourself financially.
• The Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to see specific medical evidence and correct technical documentation to approve your disability claim.
• Radiating pain and nerve root compression that limits your ability to walk are key for proving you’re unable to work and therefore eligible for SSD payments.
• Working with a disability lawyer triples your chances of benefit approval within 180 days after you file your application.

What is Spondylosis? Different Types and Common Symptoms

Spondylosis is a progressive condition that your doctor may diagnose under any of the following medical terms:

• Spinal arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal osteoarthritis

This condition occurs when the discs that make up your spine shrink and wear out over time due to the natural aging process. As this happens, your individual vertebrae may develop bone spurs as your body tries to repair the damage. And once those bones in your spine shrink down enough, they put constant pressure on your spinal cord.

Risk factors for people younger than 40 include a traumatic injury, repetitive motion stress, obesity, or genetic factors. But is spondylosis a disability that affects every patient the same way? Hardly. Anywhere from 27%-37% of people diagnosed with it have no symptoms, studies show.

The type your doctor diagnoses you with depends mostly on the location of your affected vertebrae and joints.

Cervical Spondylosis

This type affects the spinal discs in your neck, and affects more than 95% of people aged 65 and older.

Cervical spondylosis symptoms that can limit your ability to work may include:

• Neck pain that can radiate down your arms and into your fingers
• Reduced range of motion (i.e., difficulty turning your head from left to right or up and down as usual)
• Headaches
• Shoulder pain
• A grinding/popping sensation or sound when moving your neck
• Numbness or tingling in your upper extremities (i.e., arms, shoulders, hands, fingers)
• Muscle fatigue and spasms in your neck, shoulder, arms, or hands
• Loss of fine motor skills (i.e., handwriting, cooking, squeezing oranges for juice)

Lumbar Spondylosis

More than 4 out of 5 people over 40 in the U.S. have this specific type, which affects the spinal discs in your lower back.

Lumbar spondylosis leads to many people developing the following symptoms over time:

• Constant pain in your lower back that goes away or gets better if you rest
• Trouble bending over, lifting things, standing up, sitting down, or squatting
• Feeling pins and needles or numbness in your lower extremities (i.e., legs, feet, toes)
• Sciatica (i.e., shooting pain that radiates from your hips down to your legs and feet)

Multilevel Spondylosis

This type simply means that the condition affects some sections of vertebrae in both your upper and lower back. However, multilevel spondylosis tends to have more intense symptoms, as it affects a larger part of your spine.

Here are some symptoms that can develop over time with this particular type:

• Fatigue
• Loss of coordination or balance due to muscle weakness, pain, and stiffness that increase your risk for serious fall injuries
• Incontinence
• Losing your ability to walk any measurable distance without assistive devices
• Chronic pain in your upper or lower extremities from pinched nerves
• Spinal arachnoiditis (i.e., inflammation of the membrane that protects your spinal cord, which causes constant, burning pain)

Is Spondylosis a Disability According to the Social Security Administration?

The SSA does list criteria for evaluating spondylosis claims in its Blue Book under Musculoskeletal System Disorders, Section 1.04. However, your diagnosis alone isn’t enough to get you disability benefits.

What Are the Medical SSA Disability Requirements for Spondylosis Disability Benefits?

To meet the SSA’s medical eligibility criteria for spinal disorders like spondylosis, you must show proof of:

• Nerve root compression causing severe pain, limited spinal movement, and loss of motor function.
• Positive straight-leg raising tests showing you suffer from lower back issues.
• Detailed medical imaging (MRI, CT scans) that support your medical diagnosis.
• The severity and daily impact of your condition, supported by thorough and recent medical records.

How Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) Measures Your Ability to Work

Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) evaluations measure how much your medical condition impacts your daily life. Regardless of your diagnosis, every person who applies for disability must also submit a physical or mental RFC form.

The SSA uses your RFC to determine if your mental or physical health issue functionally limits your ability to work. A thorough RFC assessment includes detailed descriptions of your pain, physical limitations, and how they affect you at home and on the job. Clear, objective documentation from the doctor who treats your spondylosis helps prove you cannot work to the SSA.

How Hard Is It to Get Disability for Spondylosis?

Getting disability for spondylosis is tough because of the SSA’s strict technical eligibility requirements. The process involves multiple steps and can take several months to complete. The SSA won’t look at your medical history until they confirm you meet all technical eligibility requirements. And those requirements vary significantly, as there are two federal programs that may award you monthly payments. About 19% of people who apply for disability get benefits on their first try, on average (less than 1 in 5).

Technical Eligibility Requirements for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits

Social Security disability insurance is a federal program that insures workers through regular payroll tax deductions. The SSA checks all of the following before they even look at your claim paperwork:

1. Recent and enough eligible work history. In 2025, you need 40 Social Security work credits to qualify for SSDI disability. You can earn a max of four work credits per year, or one credit for every $1,810 in eligible job wages. If you worked 5 in the last 10 years while paying Social Security taxes, then you likely meet this requirement.
2. Current monthly income that’s below the substantial gainful activity limit. This means you earn less than $1,620 if you’re sighted, or $2,700 if you’re blind. The SSA does not count anyone else’s income (like your husband or wife’s paycheck) towards your SGA limit for SSDI claims.
3. Not currently receiving any other RSDI benefits from Social Security. This means you’re not getting any Retirement, Spousal, or Disability Insurance payments already from the Social Security Administration. So if you’re at least 67 and draw regular Social Security (or 62+ and drawing early retirement), then you won’t qualify for SSDI. You also won’t be able to get SSDI if you’re already on Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Once you pass this technical screening, the SSA will move on to evaluate the rest of your SSDI claim. The rest of your claim must prove that you cannot work for at least 12 months, specifically because of your spondylosis symptoms.

Technical Eligibility Requirements for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Disability Benefits

SSI benefits can help support the poorest blind and disabled children and adults in the United States. There is no work history requirement for SSI, but to qualify for these payments, you must be:

• Blind, disabled, or at least 65 years old on your SSI application date.
• Have total monthly household income of less than $2,019.
• Own less than $2,000 in total assets you can easily sell for cash as an individual, or $3,000 in assets per couple. Note that the SSA will not count your wedding ring, one vehicle, or your home (if you own it) towards those max thresholds.

Medical Evidence You’ll Need for Your Spondylosis Disability Claim

The real answer is that it varies according to the individual and progression stage. The SSA wants to see complete medical evidence showing your spondylosis symptoms make full-time work impossible for you.

Medical Records

Be sure to include the following information (you may need to pay for copies of these records to submit with your claim):

• Official diagnosis from your treating physician. This should include the date your doctor diagnosed you and the affected spinal regions (cervical, lumbar, or multilevel).
• CT, X-ray, and/or MRI imaging scans of the affected spinal region. Of these, x-rays of bone spurs or MRI scans showing disease progression over time are most valuable.
• Proof of past surgical or non-surgical interventions. This can include records showing you tried spinal fusion or decompression surgery, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, etc. to manage your symptoms.
• Recent labs and relevant test results. This can include bloodwork and neurological screenings, straight leg raise or femoral nerve stretch test results, scoliosis assessments, reflex tests to assess your functional limitations, etc.
• Prescriptions or recommended OTC medications from your treating physician. This may include pain management drugs, muscle relaxers, steroids, or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. You can ask your pharmacist to print a year’s worth of prescriptions to show dosage, frequency, and type of each medication you take.

Other Medical Evidence and Proof of Related Conditions

Another thing that helps support your disability claim is your doctor’s treatment notes. You can also show things like:

• Records showing how your condition affected your past work performance. This can include things like letters from coworkers or supervisors, or write-ups related to coming in late or frequent work absences.
• Proof of related health conditions. If you have anther condition that’s listed in the SSA’s Blue Book (arthritis, for example), then it dramatically strengthens your claim.
• A symptom diary or other record showing how your pain level changes after performing certain tasks. This is especially valuable if symptoms hurt your ability to stand, sit, walk, lift objects, or perform other required job duties for 8 hours.

Success Tips to Help You Get Approved for Spondylosis Disability Benefits

First, stop working once you apply for SSA disability benefits. If you’re still working when you file, then the SSA can simply point to that as proof that you’re not truly disabled and need benefits.

Second, realize that the more health issues you have, the more likely the SSA is to award you benefits. In fact, 62% of people getting SSD benefits listed multiple health problems on their disability claims. Here are some of the most common related conditions for approved disability claims:

• Facet joint arthritis, so your pain’s usually worse after sitting or lying down for longer periods or when you’re most physically active.
• Degenerative disc disease, which means you’re more likely to have lower back, neck, arm, or leg pain from spinal degeneration.
• Spinal stenosis, which means your leg(s) experience burning nerve pain when you walk.
• Spinal arachnoiditis, which the SSA says counts only if your doctor says you must change your posture, lie down, stand, or sit every two hours to relieve severe burning, pain, or itching.
• Obesity (even carrying 10 extra pounds can increase your risk for developing spine problems if you’re sedentary or rarely exercise).
• Osteoporosis, which can cause the bones in your spine to collapse and then rub together.
• Cervical radiculopathy, which pinches your spinal nerves and causes shooting pain, numbness, and even hypersensitivity.
• Scoliosis.
• Cervical spondylotic myelopathy, which means your limbs go numb and you may have trouble walking or standing, maintaining balance, or controlling your bladder.
• Osteoarthritis, which may start after age 45, come from surgery or a traumatic injury (i.e., a broken ankle).

Third (and most important!) is to work with a qualified disability lawyer to file your application for disability. If you already filed once unsuccessfully, an attorney can also help you appeal your initial claim’s denial.

Sign Up for Your Free Case Evaluation to Get Professional Disability Claim Help Today

Scared or confused by all the different options available to you? Talk to a nearby Social Security attorney about your approval chances for free, before you start filling out paperwork. They can advise you on your chances of getting disability for spondylosis from the SSA during a free case evaluation.

Choosing to work with a disability attorney makes you more likely to win benefits and get your first payment sooner than average. Plus, all disability attorneys work on contingency. That means if you don’t get benefits, then you pay $0 in legal fees to your lawyer. And if legal representation does help you get monthly payments, you’ll only pay one small fee afterwards.

You have nothing to lose, so why not sign up for a free, no-obligation consultation on your claim? Click the button below to see if you may qualify for professional disability claim help today:

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