--on the grounds that your biomechanical disabilities are insufficient to keep you from doing sedentary work, a logical grounds for appeal would be that you are in chronic pain.

The EMG/nerve conduction studies you mention should not be enough to say you are not in great pain. The company is interpreting the studies you mention as indicative of only a "mild" neuropathy, and indeed it may well be--but only of the larger fibers that can be measured in that way. It says nothing about the condition of your smaller fibers--the ones that subsume pain and temperature--and these are not measurable in that way; moreover, painful small fiber damage is common, even characteristic, of both Sjogren's and gluten sensitivity.

I say "should" because I know this, and you know this, but it's unlikely that their reviewers know this (or would admit it if they did); it's also unlikely that many "independent" doctors know this (although the situation is better than it used to be, I know there are still those who dismiss seronegative Sjogren's, even with positive lip biopsy, or are surprised at finding villous atrophy in someone that has a NEGATIVE anti-tranglutaminanse celiac antibody test, although that happens more than 10% of the time).

Absolutely you should appeal--and make it tough for them: inundate them with links to studies that support your situation (many of them are available here through the Useful Websites part of the board; I'm sure we can produce others). Push for additional testing. (Are you going to Mayo?) I'd love to see what a quantitative sensory testing session would show, or a skin biopsy (I don't believe you've had either of those yet, right?)

We empathize--few, if any, of us here think that LTD companies are in the business of paying out benefits (just another piece of ammunition for my rants about a single-payer health system).