How Chronic Pain Sufferers Can Benefit From Having a Disabled Parking Permit

How Chronic Pain Sufferers Can Benefit From Having a Disabled Parking Permit More than one out of every 10 Americans have some type of chronic pain that they suffer from. This amounts to more than 25 million individuals across the nation who are constantly in search of some way to alleviate their symptoms. This chronic pain can be debilitating and impact your ability to perform even the most basic of tasks. Just walking from a parking lot to the entrance building can become a major chore. This inhibits your access to the facilities that you rely on the most. Thankfully, the Americans with Disabilities Act mentions chronic pain when it talks about the need for disabled parking spaces for qualifying individuals. When you are issued such a permit, you will be able to live again as you can more freely travel to the places that you need to go the most. Continue reading to learn how individuals currently suffering from chronic pain can obtain a handicapped parking permit from their local DMV office. How Chronic Pain Sufferers Can Benefit From Having a Disabled Parking Permit

Reasons for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can be the result of any of a number of underlying issues. The fact of the matter is that it does not matter how you came about suffering from chronic pain. All you want is relief, and that is often hard to come by. While chronic pain often impacts older individuals who begin to develop aches and pains throughout their bodies, younger people can also encounter such pain for a number of different reasons as well. Many people find that they suffer from nerve damage. This can cause a great deal of pain that simply never seems to go away. Still, others encounter chronic pain because of past injuries that never really healed as they should.

Perhaps the most well known form of chronic pain involves the back. This can be caused by a number of different factors. In some cases, a medical condition can explain where the chronic pain comes from. Some examples of this include fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and arthritis. Other diseases that can lead to chronic pain include cancer, AIDS, stomach disorders, and other types of diseases impacting the internal organs.

Can I Get a Disabled Parking Permit for Chronic Pain?

If the chronic pain that you are suffering from makes it almost impossible to walk more than a very short distance, it is certainly possible that you will qualify for a disabled parking placard. In fact, this is something that you will want to consider getting right away. You need to have access to important buildings and facilities, and this is why handicapped designated spaces exist. The process of getting approved for such a permit is not difficult at all. You can go online to your state Department of Motor Vehicles website to get the form, so you can just pay an in-person visit to the office nearest you. Keep in mind that the application will require you to have your physician complete some sort of document confirming that you are suffering from a type of chronic pain that qualifies you for a handicapped parking placard.

If you do not currently have easy access to a doctor that can help you complete this application, online sites such as that found at Handicap MD can help you. You can be connected with a local doctor in your area that will provide virtual appointments. Once the physician speaks with you over the computer they will be able to complete the form on your behalf and ensure that it is accepted by the DMV. Once your application is completed and signed, you will just return it to the DMV. Not long after that, you should receive your disabled parking placard in the mail.

Benefits of Disabled Parking Permits for Chronic Pain Patients

You might question why you would even need a handicapped parking permit if you suffer from chronic pain. The most important benefit of such a permit is that it will make getting around much easier. Your physical body is already suffering. You should not have to pick and choose which errands you run or doctor's appointments you keep simply based on your pain tolerance level that particular day. You deserve to be able to access any facility, and this is made much easier when you are able to park close to the entrance and have access to a wheelchair ramp if necessary.

With a disabled parking permit, you are able to park in any location that is designated as such. In addition, you are able to park in spaces that are reserved for residents with a permit or vendors. This is valid even if you do not have the actual permit. In addition, most areas of the country will allow those individuals with a disabled parking permit to park in a metered space without paying.

The benefits just mentioned typically allow individuals suffering from chronic pain to gain much desired independence. You will no longer have to rely on others to get you from one place to another. Being able to park in specially designated spaces will allow you to accomplish much more throughout the day all on your own. You are also able to use such parking privileges when you are a passenger in another vehicle. Just remember to take the placard with you when you know that you will not be driving.

Lowering Stress With a Disabled Parking Permit for Chronic Pain Symptoms

Quite a few studies have found that stress and being subject to negative emotions can make chronic pain even worse. What this is means is that you will want to do whatever you can to lower your stress level if your suffering from chronic pain. Doing so will increase your overall sense of well-being and help ease the pain that you suffer from on a regular basis. One such way to do this is to have a disabled parking placard ready to use when you need it. This will decrease your stress level, which is exactly what these studies indicate you should be doing when at all possible.

Chronic pain can also be minimized when you are able to do things that bring you happiness. That might mean going shopping with your friends or taking your family on a picnic. When you do these activities, parking in a handicapped parking space will make accessibility much easier for you. This reduces your stress and allows you to enjoy the occasion.

If you are among the 25 million Americans suffering from chronic pain today, it is time to make sure that you have access to the parking spaces that you are entitled to. Stop increasing the pain that you suffer from simply because you cannot park near the entrance. Apply for a disabled parking placard and begin to minimize the stress that you feel when going places. This is another way to fight the chronic pain that you suffer from and hopefully bring lasting relief in the end.