If you are unable to work because of arthritis you may be able to make a TPD claim for a lump sum from the Total & Permanent Disablement insurance contained within your superannuation fund. There is no necessity for you to have been involved in an accident or to have suffered a work related injury to make a TPD claim. If you suffer from total and permanent disability, you may be able to make a TPD claim in addition to receiving your super early as a result of your condition. Our solicitors can advise you in detail as to the requirements of a successful submission, they will prepare all relevant paperwork and will obtain full supporting documentation. Our lawyers will give you free advice on the likely success of your claim to a super fund, without further obligation. It costs nothing to use our free advice service.

Our TPD claim solicitors use a risk free no win no fee arrangement.

We have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Darwin.

Arthritis - TPD

There are many types of arthritis but all yield pain in the joints. There is symmetric arthritis, which affects the same joints on both sides of the body, asymmetric arthritis, arthritis that affects primarily the large joints and arthritis that affects primarily the small joints. Arthritis involves inflammation of at least one joint, although most of the time more than one joint is affected. The joint can be painful, stiff, have limited movement and can smell. There are more than one hundred forms of arthritis.

Many forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, damage the cartilage that normally protects the two or more bones from rubbing together. In addition, cartilage absorbs the shock of walking or using the joint. Without cartilage, there is pain in the joint and the joint becomes stiff.

Arthritis can be caused by an autoimmune disease, a broken bone, wear and tear on the joints over time, and infection within the joint. The inflammation can disappear after the trauma or infection has passed or it can remain behind due to prolonged damage to the cartilage.

Osteoarthritis is the most common chronic arthritis. Its incidence increases as you age and have more wear and tear on the joints. Osteoarthritis is more common in the large joints such as in the hips and knees but can occur in the fingers or wrist joints. Risk factors include being obese and putting more weight on the joints, having an injury to the joint and using the joint in an activity of repetitive motion.

About 37 million Americans have some kind of arthritis, which adds up to about one in seven individuals. Other types of arthritis are many and include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, fungal arthritis, gonococcal arthritis, gouty arthritis, bacterial arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma, lupus, Lyme disease, tuberculous arthritis and viral arthritis. Some are permanent and some are not.

Symptoms of arthritis depend on the type of arthritis you have. You can have pain in the joint, swelling of the joint, decreased mobility of the joint, redness around the joint, stiffness (particularly in the morning) and warmth about the joint.

Doctors need to do a complete history and physical examination, particularly of the joints, and must look at the range of motion and tenderness of the various joints involved. The doctors look for an excess of fluid around the joint, called an effusion. Tenderness of the joint is looked at. Deformity of the joint can be seen in some autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Blood tests and x-rays can identify what kind of arthritis is going on. Infection can be looked for by aspirating some fluid out of the joint and aspirating from the joint.

Treatment of arthritis depends on the cause of the disease and how severe it is. A treatment plan depends on how old you are and what kind of work you usually do. How much the arthritis affects activities of daily living plays a role in how you treat the disease.

Not all causes of arthritis are curable and the best doctors can do is to manage the pain and inflammation of the affected joints. Lifestyle changes are combined with medication to control the symptoms of the disease. Exercise is necessary for arthritis to be controlled. It should be low impact aerobics that emphasizes flexibility and increased muscle tone. Hot and cold packs via physical therapy can soothe the joints as can splints or other orthotic devices that help support and align the joints properly. A TENS unit, which blocks nerve pain fibres, can be applied to the joints. You need to also get plenty of rest and sleep at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

Capsaicin cream, which comes from chili peppers, can be applied to the joints to block the pain substance P in the joints and can relieve the pain. It takes up to a week before it takes effect. Other medications for arthritis include Tylenol, aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen—all over the counter. Prescription medications for pain can be used as well. Biologic medications are used in rheumatoid arthritis, such as Enbrel. Corticosteroids can be used to block inflammation and COX-2 inhibitors can be used if anti-inflammatory medications over the counter fail.

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