Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that causes destruction of the joints in the body. Secondary service connection occurs when a service-connected disability causes another disability. You cannot do your prior occupation, and; You are unable to keep and maintain a job in the greater national economy due to your service-connected disability. Please complete this form to send us your message. The three elements needed to make a successful service connection claim include: When assessing your disability claims, VA examiners will look at your medical records during your time in the military and for a period afterward for evidence of a service connection. If severe enough, anxiety and depression arising from a service-related condition may also qualify for an additional disability rating. Berry Law gets Veterans the disability compensation they earned. Contact Us Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 Whether from the physical rigors of combat, from the psychosomatic effects of stress and anxiety on the body, or from other factors, many soldiers can leave their time in the military with a wide range of physical . we represent clients nationwide. For example, if your spinal stenosis is caused by a bulging disc, dislocated vertebrae, or bone fragments, you may be able to identify an accidental fall, vehicle collision, or any other physical injury incurred during your military service that worsened your condition. The attorneys at Berry Law Firm are dedicated to helping injured Veterans. You may qualify for VA disability compensation if you have an illness linked to Gulf War serviceoften called Gulf War Syndromein Southwest Asia, including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. The VA not only makes, Both degenerative arthritis and traumatic arthritis, regardless of the joint affected, are rated under diagnostic code 5003. NOTE: Entitlement of a spinal condition includes spinal stenosis. Often, spinal stenosis is caused by the formation of bone spurs that grow into your spinal canal. If the VA determines your spinal stenosis is service-connected, you will receive a disability rating between 0% and 100%. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. I have dental care because Woods & Woods fought for me until they got Unemployability pay for me of 100%. Step 1: Make Sure You Pass All Technical Requirements for Disability Benefits. 4.30 Convalescent ratings. If spinal stenosis is suspected, your doctor may order X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or CT or CT myelogram. It will also help if someone else in your division remembers what happened. When rheumatoid arthritis affects the spine, it typically occurs in the cervical spine (the neck) rather than the thoracolumbar spine (the low back). If you believe you may have been wrongly denied benefits, you may benefit from the services of a VA disability lawyer. After recovery, the VA will re-evaluate their condition. Hill & Ponton P.A. When the nerves are compressed, electrical signals passing along those nerves can become disrupted. Symptoms vary depending on the location of the stenosis and which nerves are affected. It may result in a higher rating, and therefore a greater monthly disability compensation amount. Your spinal stenosis may be accompanied by other back conditions, including degenerative disc disease, arthritis, ankylosis or ankylosing spondylitis. In severe cases, doctors may recommend surgery to relieve the symptoms associated with spinal stenosis. The following percentages are available under the rating criteria for rheumatoid arthritis: Its possible for rheumatoid arthritis to be rated under diagnostic code 5003 like degenerative and traumatic arthritis. This occurs when the soft tissue discs between segments of the spine become displaced and are squeezed into the spinal nerve canal or into the ventral nerve roots. The disability rating is the highest rating produced by the rating tables. Markedly severe residual weakness, pain or limitation of motion following implantation of prosthesis 70 Moderately severe residuals of weakness, pain or limitation of motion 50 Minimum rating 30 5055 Knee replacement (prosthesis). The sum of all these degree measurements together is called the ROM (range of motion) measurement. However, generally speaking, symptoms may include the following: Most often, spinal stenosis is caused by overuse or general wear-and-tear changes in the spine related to osteoarthritis. Disclaimer: This information is not legal advice. Think of the first number as an identifying diagnostic code that tells you what joint is affected, while the second diagnostic code tells you the rating system the condition is being rated under. However, it can also be caused by herniated discs, thickened ligaments in your spine, tumors, and spinal injuries. 30 percent disability rating: $508.05 per month. Because there are technically two diagnostic codes associated with one condition, you would see the condition listed on rating decisions as 5242-5003. When the spinal canal is obstructed due to spinal stenosis, abnormal narrowing occurs. As of December 1st, 2022 the VA disability rate benefit amounts are as follows: 0 percent disability rating: $0.00 per month. Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Berry Law is a team full of Veterans, with attorneys from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. ). Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 Favorable position means your spine is locked but more or less vertical, so you can still sit at a desk chair, for example. If left untreated, spinal stenosis may cause permanent numbness, weakness, balance problems, incontinence, and/or paralysis. If you believe you may have been wrongly denied benefits, you may benefit from the services of a VA disability lawyer. You may also qualify for a 100% rating if your back injury renders you. In severe cases, it can lead to myelopathy, paralysis, bladder and bowel incontinence or retention, headaches, and other debilitating symptoms. To qualify for the total unemployability disability benefit, you must meet two distinct criteria: Note that theres a significant difference in monthly disability benefits between a 40% disability rating and a 100% disability rating. For example, a cervical spine with forward flexion of 15 produces a VA disability percentage of 30% and a lumbar spine with a total ROM of 120 produces a VA disability percentage of 20%, for an overall VA disability rating of 40%. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. These exams are called comprehensive preventive health evaluations (CPHE) or wellness checks.. Specifically, VA rates spinal stenosis according to its General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, outlined below: If you were denied VA disability benefits for spinal stenosis, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help you through the appeals process. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. If you believe your current spinal injuries are the result of military service, you could receive VA disability for spinal stenosis. Technically, the highest VA rating for a thoracolumbar spinal disability is 50 percent. These mistakes cost veterans at least $5.9 million in payments over the period studied. Failure to address the symptoms will lead to a lifestyle filled with numbness, pain, and muscle weakness. Neck muscle injuries. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! The ratings range from 10% to 60%. At these exams, you can expect your doctor to ask you questions about your background and medical history, evaluate your symptoms and range of motion. You may also qualify for a 100% rating if your back injury renders you unemployable. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of spinal stenosis. If the condition is not severe enough to meet the above criteria, then the VA rating for back pain / arthritis will be based on specific symptoms. 10 percent disability rating: $165.92 per month. A VA lawyer can run through all the scenarios with you for obtaining a fair VA disability rating that reflects the ways spinal stenosis affects you. Your spinal stenosis may cause or contribute to other medical conditions, as well. Over time, you will attend additional annual exams at an area SCI Center. It may also cause bladder and bowel issues. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. If your service-related stenosis causes a secondary condition, that condition would be rated separately by the VA. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to stay updated on VA news, policy changes, and more. As you can see, ROM measurements play a significant role in rating spinal conditions. If your spine is not frozen, the VA disability rating for spinal stenosis will depend on the ROM measurements using a goniometer. There must be x-ray evidence of arthritis in the cervical or thoracolumbar joints for the VA to rate a spinal condition under the code for degenerative arthritis. In extreme cases, spinal stenosis can cause incontinence or constipation if the compressed nerve controls the muscles surrounding the bladder or bowel, respectively. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. 20 percent disability rating: $327.99 per month. Woods and Woods, LLC, Veterans Disability Lawyer, Veterans Disability Benefits Attorneys Helping Veterans Nationwide, Published on January 13, 2020 by Mike Woods Last Updated on December 30, 2022. Stenosis can occur in the cervical or c-spine (neck) and lumbar (lower back) areas of the spine. The spine is considered as a minor joint. If there is painful motion, a 10% rating will be assigned. have been offered surgery and epidurals havent decided yet but if anyone can weigh in on this.. if you have spinal stenosis DDD DJD hypert,etc are you suppose to file a claim for each one separately? Disability Benefits by Percentage Rating and Dependent Status (As of 2020). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. . Depending on what joint is affected, there will be an identifying diagnostic code assigned to the condition. In all other cases, the ROM measurements of the lumbar spine are rated separately from the ROM measurements of the cervical spine. Often, spinal stenosis is caused by the formation of bone spurs that grow into your spinal canal.
