Opinion ID: 536108
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: functional restrictions.

Text: 23 Id. See Folks v. Secretary of Health & Human Servs., 825 F.2d 1259, 1261 (8th Cir.1987). In the present case, the ALJ failed to consider these factors in analyzing appellant's claim. 24 The ALJ suggests that appellant's complaints were disregarded because appellant failed to establish a physical impairment. The ALJ held that [a]lthough claimant has complained of lower back pain and stomach problems, this record fails to demonstrate by objective medical evidence that the claimant suffers from a physical impairment. ALJ Order at 4. However, appellant has established a severe impairment of mental retardation and he has also been diagnosed as mildly depressed. The Social Security Act recognizes that a psychological disorder may cause disabling pain. The ALJ erred in requiring evidence of a physical impairment to verify complaints of pain. See Reinhart, 733 F.2d at 573 (8th Cir.1984); Cook v. Heckler, 739 F.2d 396, 398 (8th Cir.1984). The ALJ made no findings concerning whether the impairments appellant established could reasonably be expected to cause pain. Nor did the ALJ find that appellant's complaints were not credible because of inherent inconsistencies in his testimony or other circumstances. See Reinhart, 733 F.2d at 573; Simonson, 699 F.2d at 428. Rather, the ALJ found that appellant was generally a credible witness. Other than the lack of objective medical evidence proving the existence of disabling pain, the ALJ did not note any inconsistencies in the record undermining appellant's claims of pain. 25 Accordingly, we affirm the district court's affirmance of the Secretary's denial of presumptive disability, but reverse and remand with directions to the district court to remand this case to the Secretary to reassess appellant's allegations of subjective pain, by evaluating all of the evidence pursuant to the five factors set forth in Polaski.