Can Workers' Compensation Cover Treatments For Chronic Pain?

A workplace injury can often come with ongoing chronic pain. Your chronic pain may need ongoing pain management and treatments. The costs of these procedures can skyrocket, so it's imperative you figure out if your workers' compensation will handle those costs. Here's what you need to know about workers' compensation and chronic pain.

What Is Chronic Pain?

Generally, if you have pain that lasts for three to six months or longer, the pain falls under the category of chronic pain. If your chronic pain stems from your work activities, then workers' compensation can cover your chronic pain treatments. Still, you can have a hard time if you don't go about the process in the right way.

Practically any workplace activity can lead to ongoing, chronic pain. Since the pain can stem from any type of injury, many types of treatments also exist. The treatment you need for your chronic pain may not match the treatment someone else needs, even if the pain comes from the same type of injury.

The insurance company may want to treat your claim as it would any other claim for a similar injury. Also, the subjectivity associated with how pain feels to different people can make it hard to explain your condition.

All these factors can create difficulties when it's time to make a workers' compensation claim. You can end up with an outright claim denial or inadequate compensation for your pain management regimen.

Why Is Chronic Pain Eligible for Workers' Compensation?

What you have in your favor is the fact chronic pain is a defined medical condition. A physician can help you establish that the cause of your pain came from a workplace injury.

Seeking a professional medical judgment is one of the first steps to take if you want the best chance at receiving the right workers' compensation benefits. In addition, having a doctor establish a treatment plan will also help your claim.

Still, a denial or inadequate compensation can happen, even if you do what you're supposed to do. Some types of chronic pain aren't always easy to trace back to the job. This is especially true of injuries that develop over long periods of time, rather than those that occur all at once.

The situation can become frustrating, but there are avenues to success in stubborn chronic pain cases. Speak with a workers' compensation attorney about your situation. Don't assume you don't have a valid claim because of a denial. Work with an attorney to see what you can do to receive the workers' compensation benefits you need and deserve.