Hello my name is Sherri. I went to my doc yesterday to have a form filled out for disability (a waiver of payment for insurance form). I have been on SSDB for 14 years. Only to be told by my doc he could not fill it out as he is NOT CERTIFIED. I explained he had done them for past years. To say the least I was dumbfounded. He had been seeing me since 1994. Another doc in the practice did the Bi-lateral DeQuervains releases in 1993and then I was put under his care as he was the upper extremities expert. I also had Right-hand CTS releases in 1994 by a Neurosurgeon, had nerve blocks for RSD by a Pain Mgmt. Specialist and came out with partial paralysis of the right side. I never went back to him. and later told I had pinched ulnar nerves, too. He has told me over the years he would not operate on them as it would exascerbate the RSD/CRPS, then told me to keep seeing my chiropractor every 8 weeks to manage many other symptoms. Can someone advise why he said he is not certified. He's been my treating orthopaedic for years. Also, can someone advise of an RSD specialist in Central NJ. I don't know what to do if I need surgery because he is the one I would have wanted to do it.

Certified for what exactly?

Certified to fill out the form stating I am permanently disabled. He has signed it in the past and said he can't now.

Just out of curosity did you ask him why? Any dr. should be able to fill out the form.

I've had doctors who are "specialists" who say they will not write out work restrictions, as that is something my primary care doctor should do...but I always assumed it was just their policy. I guess I did have one who would not fill out the form my employer provided, stating that he was not qualified to perform a functional capacity exam. Maybe that's what he's talking about? Weird though if he has done it in the past...

Thank you for your input. It is not restrictions. It isn't for work either. I've been on SSDB for 14 years. Just an insurance form to waive my payments. Has something happen in the RSD world impacting doctors that you may know of? It is weird, but I will need a treating physician none the less. I am still trying to navigate through this group forgive me.

I agree that if this is a treating physician and he has done these forms in the past it makes no sense why he would not do them now. Do you have another dr?

Unfortunately I'm not in your area or familiar with doctors that would be...but I am sure someone on here can give you some advice about a good one. Have you just been seeing an orthopedic? I know many people on here see several doctors with one sort of being the "lead"...usually a pain management specialist and a neurologist combined with physical therapy, chiropracter, primary care physician, or possibly others that escape me at the moment. Everyone is different of course...the most important being that you just find a doctor who can give you the care you need.

The couple othopedic doctors I have seen have told me that since RSD is not an "orthopedic" condition and I am fine from an "orthopedic" standpoint that there is nothing he can do for me. Maybe from an insurance perspective or SSDB standpoint you would need another specialist who is more familiar with treating RSD? This is just a guess...but it seems like insurance companies are getting more nit-picky when it comes to these sorts of things...always looking for a reason to deny coverage. Maybe there are new rules in place that limit what types of doctors are able to certify disability for specific conditions? In which case maybe your current treating doctor might not be "certified" to fill out a form for permanent disability based on your diagnosis. Or maybe they require doctors to take continuing education to maintain their ability to be "certified" and be recongnized to fill out such forms?

Unfortunately those are just guesses. But in your search for a new treating physician it is a question you should definitely try to get answered up front. And I am sorry that you have to go through this because I can only imagine it will take time before a new doctor would be willing to fill out such forms for a new patient...as they wouldn't know you well enough at the get go to be able to say whether you are or are not permanently disabled. Maybe your doctor who cannot fill out the forms now could refer you to someone who can...someone he has a professional relationship with that would be more inclined to respect and agree with his assessment of your disability?

I'm sorry I don't have anything more useful to offer except my sympathy for the situation you find your self in. I hope someone pops in soon with some doctor recommendations for you.

yes he said he is not certified to say I am disabled and cannot work now after 14 years.

No, I'm trying to find one either a Neurologist, Pain Management or Rheumatologist per my primary MD doc.