Technically, the highest VA rating for a thoracolumbar spinal disability is 50 percent. Does Spinal Stenosis Qualify for Disability Benefits? Errors are frequently made when rating conditions. These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. If these conservative options dont get results, your doctor may recommend injecting a corticosteroid into your spine, which can give you relief for a few days or weeks. We consistently provide experienced, compassionate and ethical representation to our clients. Veterans looking to receive VA disability for spinal stenosis often develop the disability due to an injury to the spine. Evidence of diagnosis of your spinal stenosis while you were in the military; Information about an occurrence or an incident that occurred while you were serving led to the injury or aggravation of this injury; Medical nexus a medical description that connects the diagnosed stenosis with the particular occurrence that is said to lead to it. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. These measurements are taken while bending the neck and back forward and backward, tilting the neck and back from size to side, and rotating the neck and back to each side. Hill & Ponton P.A. The effects of spinal stenosis, whether they manifest themselves in the back or elsewhere, can be the basis of a VA disability rating for spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in compromise of the cauda equina 1.17 Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint 1.18 Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity . Philadelphia, PA: 1 International Plaza, Suite 550, Philadelphia, PA, 19113 When spinal stenosis manifests in the form of back pain and a frozen spine, obtaining a fair VA disability rating for spinal stenosis is primarily a matter of obtaining accurate ROM measurements of the cervical spine and lumbar spine. We advocate for the disabled. An. If we can show that you had spinal stenosis while in the service but you were misdiagnosed, you might even get some substantial back pay. These cookies are also used to let affiliates know if you came to one of our websites from an affiliate and if your visit resulted in the use or purchase of a product or service from us, including details of the product or service purchased. 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. Gulf War Illnesses linked to Southwest Asia service | Veterans Affairs 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. Fill out the short form below to contact us. VA disability ratings for back pain go from 10% to 100% depending on how severe your symptoms are, including your range of motion and pain frequency and level. For example, if the spine is frozen tilted to one side or leaning forward, that would constitute an unfavorable position. If the arthritis does not cause any episodes of incapacitation, but 2 or more joint groups are involved, then a 10% rating will be assigned. The RO assigned an initial 10 percent rating for the disability, effective June 13, 1994. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. In most cases, the medical listing will be insufficient. When pursuing a VA disability rating for back pain, its important to know your options. For example, after a fall or motor vehicle accident, a military doctor may attribute leg and foot pain to a leg injury rather than spinal stenosis. About VA Disability Ratings | Veterans Affairs - VA.gov Home | Veterans Your VA doctor may conclude that your spinal stenosis is service-connected because of this pre-existing whiplash and disk herniation. Regardless of the underlying cause, spinal stenosis leads to pressure on nerves running through the spinal canal. The diagnostic code for rheumatoid arthritis is 5002. This impinges on the nerves themselves, which can cause pain, tingling numbness, and muscle weakness. Learn How Veterans Can Get VA Benefits for Back Pain Berry Law gets Veterans the disability compensation they earned. you viewed to avoid repetition. When the nerves are compressed, electrical signals passing along those nerves can become disrupted. These cookies do not store any personal information. In a February 2007 rating decision, the RO granted service connection for spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of spinal stenosis. The ratings range from 10% to 60%. A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide, Stenosis can occur in the spinal column itself, or it can occur within the intervertebral foramen, which are the passages through which your nerve roots branch out laterally through the spine. Spinal Stenosis: Practice Essentials, Anatomy, Pathophysiology - Medscape for L3 -L4 L4-L5 L5- S1 in the past they are rating as post operative residuals of . Spinal stenosis can arise from both degenerative conditions (such as arthritis, bulging discs, and herniated discs) and physical injury, such as bone fragments, dislocated vertebrae, or swollen tissues. You can get disability benefits for your illness or condition if you have a disability rating of 10% or more and you have one of these presumptive diseases: AVVO 10/10 Superb Rating, BBB A+ Rated. Over time, you will attend additional annual exams at an area SCI Center. If your spinal condition results in the development of a new disability or makes an existing disability worse, remember that you may be entitled to secondary service-connection for the new or aggravated disability. For example, fractured and/or dislocated vertebrae can lead to pain and weakness in the arms, hips, shoulders, etc. If your spine is frozen due to spinal stenosis, meaning that you have no Range Of Motion, you may qualify for a relatively high VA disability rating. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My name is [K.S]. Contact Info Is applicant currently receiving Social Security benefits? Spinal stenosis is most commonly experienced in the neck and lower part of the back. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. A posterior spinal fusion of a segment of adjoining vertebra, prior to clinical onset only of Spondylolysis or Spondylolisthesis Posterior spinal fusion means a surgical procedure involving immobilization of the posterior elements of two or more vertebrae by the use of bone grafting, in the absence of immobilization of the lateral elements, of . These cookies are essential so that you can move around the website and use its features. I had been fighting for my benefits since 1980 by myself and I managed to get 50% rating. The VA routinely mishandles spinal injury claims. for incapacitating episodes totaling at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months; for incapacitating episodes totaling at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months; for incapacitating episodes totaling at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months; for incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least one week but less than 2 weeks during the past 12 months. Lack of cartilage causes pain and limitation of motion. Call 800-544-9144 today for a free case evaluation or contact us here. If your spinal stenosis was caused by another service-connected disability, you can apply for secondary service connection. 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. This narrowing can be caused by physical injury or degeneration of the spine. When it occurs in the cervical spine (the neck and upper section of the back), symptoms may include pain, muscle spasm and weakness, numbness, and tingling in the neck, hands, arms, legs, and feet. These two types of spinal stenosis can be summarized as follows: Some people with spinal stenosis do not exhibit symptoms. If severe enough, anxiety and depression arising from a service-related condition may also qualify for an additional disability rating. Yes No Disability Evaluation Under Social Security 1.00 Musculoskeletal Disorders - Adult Section 1.01 Category of Impairments, Musculoskeletal . VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs Even if your diagnosis of spinal stenosis occurred after your honorable discharge, you may still be eligible for VA disability benefits if your spinal stenosis arose during your time in the military, but was misdiagnosed. Because the rating formula is almost entirely based on ROM measurements, its important to make sure that a doctor performs ROM testing as accurately as possible. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Spinal stenosis is typically diagnosed with x-rays or MRIs of the spine showing a narrowing of the spinal canal. However, Veterans can also receive disability compensation on a secondary basis. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. However, it can also be caused by herniated discs, thickened ligaments in your spine, tumors, and spinal injuries. As you can see, ROM measurements play a significant role in rating spinal conditions. You may be owed compensation. Numbness or tingling in a hand, arm, foot, or leg, Pain or cramping in one or both legs when you stand for long periods of time or when you walk, which usually eases when you bend forward or sit.
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