Yvonne McCollister v. Commissioner, Social Security

MEMORANDUM

The administrative law judge’s (ALJ) adverse credibility finding is supported by substantial evidence. The ALJ offered specific, clear, and convincing reasons for discounting McCollister’s credibility. See Tommasetti v. Astrue, 533 F.3d 1035, 1039 (9th Cir.2008). First, the ALJ noted that the objective medical evidence and McCol-lister’s conservative course of treatment are inconsistent with her testimony regarding the extent of her disability. The record reflects that McCollister’s doctors recommended mainly routine medications, over-the-counter painkillers, and physical therapy, and that McCollister did not seek more aggressive treatment. As such, the ALJ permissibly inferred that McCollis-ter’s disability is not as severe as she claims. See id. Second, the ALJ noted that McCollister’s daily activities are inconsistent with her alleged level of disability. McCollister lives alone, performs household chores, and shops for her own groceries. Further, she works as a weekend building monitor for her apartment building, which involves periodically walking the hallways, inspecting stairwells, and locking or unlocking doors. Accordingly, the ALJ reasonably concluded that…