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We recently successfully handled a case where our client suffered from severe Parsonage-Turner syndrome. Individuals suffering from this disorder experience severe shoulder or arm pain followed by weakness and numbness. This is a rare idiopathic syndrome with symptoms resulting from inflammation of unknown an etiology of the brachial plexus nerve network through which the impulses reach the arms, shoulders, and chest.

Our client's condition took many months to properly diagnose, and surgery was eventually needed. Physical therapy was also required for many weeks following the surgery. Parsonage-Turner syndrome is not a disease that is included in Social Security's Listing of impairments. The Administrative Law Judge assigned to hear our client's case gave significant weight, however, to the treating physician's medical source opinion and to the side effects of our client's prescribed medications.

Even though the medical expert present at the hearing did not give an opinion that our client was disabled, the judge gave greater weight to the treating physician's opinion and found our client was disabled.