I've seen estimates that as many as 1/3 of Americans are in chronic pain, but there's chronic pain, and there's chronic pain. Some can be described as an annoyance easily treated with a couple OTC pills, and are pretty high functional. Then there are those of us who are truly disabled to one extent or another.
Chronic pain, like many other disabilities, is often invisible, so we're going to look like anybody else.
http://www.chronicpain.org/articles/tsocp.html
I can remember in the days BCP seeing someone pull into a handicapped parking space, jump out of their car, and walk briskly into a store, and thinking, "
OK, what's wrong with that guy/gal? S/he's just cheating someone who really needs that space." Then came the day that, without my asking, complaining, or anything, my doctor handed me a form to get a handicap tag for my rearview mirror. He knew how much pain I was in walking around, though you'd never know it to look at me. There were some days I was pretty spry too. Then there were the other days I couldn't even drive, and my wife would need to drop me off at the door...
That was a very introspective day for me. In those early days I can also recall
getting that same look I used to
give some others. Nowadays, not so much. I need a cane to get around and keep myself from falling over, I'm not nearly so spry at all, and when that cane comes out, they just keep driving by...
We can't tell by looking if someone is really in pain or not, and it's
always going to be a matter of degree. Unfortunately, just as there are a small number of drug addicts who try to get narcotics for the wrong reasons, there is also a small number of people who are trying to bilk the system (though it makes even less sense, considering the hoops we are forced to jump through). These WC doctors, almost by definition, are going to be adversarial. The burden of proof is on the patient to prove the disability and the cause.
Just to play devil's advocate for a moment, how would someone who's faking an injury/illness act in the same circumstance? A comfortably seated lady in no acute distress. Until [the doctor] touches [her] foot, then [she] cries and jerks (as if in pain)(?)
Now please remember, I'm just playing devil's advocate here. I do not believe you are faking, shirking or anything like that. I'm just trying to step back and examine both sides of the situation - the broader picture.
Since the burden of proof is on the patient, we must do our homework, and arm ourselves with the best knowledge and evidence we can (and I'm not assuming you did any less!) Medical records, written opinions from our own doctors, and while I can't locate any at the moment, I'm sure there must be websites offering tips & information on how to best get through these exams/interviews. I wish I could post some. In looking, I did come across some mention that these exams & their outcomes are sometimes challengeable/appealable.
So the best I can suggest is try to find this kind of info, and go as best prepared as you can, and knowledgable that you
will be in an adversarial situation.
HTH,
Doc