Examples of secondary conditions that may arise as complications of stenosis include radiculopathy, neurogenic bladder, and knee and hip problems caused by walking difficulties due to stenosis. Spinal stenosis is typically diagnosed with x-rays or MRIs of the spine showing a narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is a medical condition in which the passages through which your nerves travel through your spine become narrow or partially blocked. Berry Law is a team full of Veterans, with attorneys from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. All the disabilities stemming from spinal stenosis should be accounted for in a fair VA disability rating. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Your Condition Must be Connected to Your Service to Obtain a VA Disability Rating Spinal Stenosis, When it occurs in the cervical spine (the neck and upper section of the back). Experienced Social Security Disability Lawyer. If you believe you may have been wrongly denied benefits, you may benefit from the services of a VA disability lawyer. AVVO 10/10 Superb Rating, BBB A+ Rated. Severe disability and death may result from the association of cervical stenosis with even minor trauma resulting in the central cord syndrome. 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. After recovery, the VA will re-evaluate their condition. VA Disability Rating for Spinal Stenosis Depends on Range of Motion 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. we represent clients nationwide. If radiculopathy is caused by a neck condition, the symptoms will be felt in the shoulder and can travel down the arm and into the hand. Entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic low back pain from multilevel degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. If the VA determines your spinal stenosis is service-connected, you will receive a disability rating between 0% and 100%. Many people with spinal stenosis and other back injuries experience anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems. Spinal stenosis is a degenerative disc disease that occurs when there is pressure placed on the nerves in your spine. 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 . Muscle guarding occurs when muscles react to prevent pain or discomfort. 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. 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. When these lateral nerve roots become compressed, it can disrupt the signals passing from your brain and spinal column out through the nerve roots to your arms, legs, and other parts of your body a condition called foraminal stenosis, which can cause radiculopathy. Regardless of the underlying cause, spinal stenosis leads to pressure on nerves running through the spinal canal. We assign you a disability rating based on the severity of your service-connected condition. Let's talk about your VA disability benefits. If there is painful motion, a 10% rating will be assigned. QUALIFYING STATEMENTS . Copy this embed code to share the infographic on your own site. Diagnostic Code 5238 Cervical Spine Stenosis The spinal canal narrowing for one reason or another Diagnostic Code 5242 Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine Pain from the degeneration of the cervical vertebrae This rating criterion is primarily based on a range of motion measurements. Use our VA disability calculator to estimate your. It is possible to have your rating lowered if you happen to do better on another C&P exam, so discuss your case and your condition with a VA attorney first. I was injured in Iraq on Nov 19 ,2007, I filed my claims when I got home from Iraq, the V/A called me yesterday and told me that I got a 60% rating for. It is rated under another diagnostic group. Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. 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. In a February 2007 rating decision, the RO granted service connection for spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The VA awards disability ratings for incapacitating episodes as follows: You may be asked to take a compensation & pension exam (C&P exam). This guide will break down how the VA rates back pain and spinal disabilities, so you can take the first steps toward making a claim. Neck muscle injuries. VA Ratings For Spinal Arthritis & Back Pain. The spine is considered as a minor joint. Vertebral fractures and dislocations (diagnostic code 5235). A. found that the VA processed the majority of the 62,500 spinal injury claims decided in the first half of 2018. This narrowing can be caused by physical injury or degeneration of the spine. Use our VA disability calculator to estimate your combined VA rating and monthly payment. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of spinal stenosis. VA Disability Rating Levels and Compensation Amounts for Spinal Injury. To qualify for disability because of lumbar spinal stenosis under listing 1.16, you must show that you suffer from ALL of the following: Non-radiating pain in one or both legs, or non-radiating loss of feeling in one or both legs, or neurogenic claudication (pain or cramping caused by nerve compression) If your MRIs dont show a significant stenosis, but you are experiencing severe back pain that still inhibits your ability to work, and you have intervertebral disc syndrome, you may be able to get a higher rating due to incapacitating episodes. 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. VA uses 38 CFR 4.71a, General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine to evaluate most neck pain conditions. Less frequently, stenosis can occur in the upper back (thoracic). The ROM measurement is the maximum angle that you can move in each direction before reaching your physical limits or experiencing severe pain. Our goal is to help all fellow Veterans get the disability benefits they deserve. They fought hard for me and got me more than I ever could dream of. 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. Other back impairments have a maximum schedular rating of 60 percent or lower. The VA disability rating for spinal stenosis will be based on both individual ROM measurements and the total ROM measurement. To establish service connection, veterans must generally do the following: Evidence to support your VA disability claim may include military personnel and medical records, lay testimony, and medical opinions. This disruption can cause strange sensations and loss of muscle control in the affected areas. Spinal stenosis can be a difficult disability to deal with because of the breadth and variety of symptoms you may experience. bulging, herniated, or degenerated disc and request a re-calculation, Get Our Team Started Reviewing Your Case for Free Today, you should talk to a VA Disability law attorney first, Nervous System Conditions VA Disability Articles, Woods and Woods fought hard for this Army Veteran. 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. 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. Lumbar spinal stenosis results in low back pain, as well as weakness, numbness, pain and abnormal sensations in the buttocks, thighs, legs, calves, and feet. 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: When the nerves are compressed, electrical signals passing along those nerves can become disrupted. If a doctor doesnt use a goniometer to measure your ROM, In addition to the ROM measurements, the general rating criteria for spinal involves whether the cervical and/or thoracolumbar spine is frozen in a favorable vs. unfavorable position. When rheumatoid arthritis affects the spine, it typically occurs in the cervical spine (the neck) rather than the thoracolumbar spine (the low back). Favorable position means your spine is locked but more or less vertical, so you can still sit at a desk chair, for example. Entire cervical spine is frozen in an unfavorable position. For example: Suppose you were diagnosed with whiplash as a result of a Humvee accident while you were in the service. Incomplete paralysis can be determined as severe, moderately severe, moderate, or mild with disability ratings as low as 10 percent. Depending on how severe your symptoms are, you may be able to file for a permanent spinal stenosis disability. Errors are frequently made when rating conditions. Call (855) 873-2604 For a Free Evaluation of Your Spinal Stenosis Disability Case. Appeals to the Board of Veterans Appeals, Appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Increase Veterans Affairs Disability Rating, Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU), VA Mental Health: Legal Help for Veterans, Veterans Affairs Compensation for Sleep Apnea, VA Rating for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Symptoms, 2023 Veterans Affairs Disability Rate Increase, Have a current medical diagnosis for the disability, Have an in-service event or experience that led to the disability, Get a medical nexus connecting the in-service event to the current medical diagnosis. If two or more major OR minor groups are affected a 20% rating will be assigned if the arthritis is occasionally incapacitating. NOTE: Entitlement of a spinal condition includes spinal stenosis. While we still have our home base in Florida, Additional medical appliances may be required. Spinal stenosis of the cervical and thoracic regions may contribute to neurologic injury, such as development of a central spinal cord syndrome following spinal trauma. Also, the VA requires that all ROM measurements be taken with a goniometer. The latter two will show whether soft tissue may be impinging or invading the spinal cord area. People with spinal conditions also often change how they walk to, 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, In order to ensure that youre getting the most out of your disability claim, you need to understand how the VA rates your condition. Your spinal stenosis may cause or contribute to other medical conditions, as well. It may result in a higher rating, and therefore a greater monthly disability compensation amount. However, the VA disability rating for spinal stenosis is calculated exactly the same as other spinal diseases and injuries. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Disclaimer: This information is not legal advice. By using our website, you agree to the use of certain cookies. Keep in mind that a Veterans disability law firm can work with you to build a claim for a higher rating. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. If you are concerned that your VA disability percentage for spinal stenosis fails to account for the extent of your disability, you may wish to speak to a VA benefits lawyer. For a cervical spine that is frozen in a favorable position, the disability rating may be capped at 30%. In severe cases, doctors may recommend surgery to relieve the symptoms associated with spinal stenosis. Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 The VA assigns rating percentages based on the frequency of incapacitating episodes. Symptoms are similar to the symptoms involved with degenerative arthritis and include pain and swelling of the joints. This storage is often necessary for basic functionality of the web site or the storage may be used for the purposes of marketing, analytics, and personalization of the web site such as storing your preferences. It may also cause bladder and bowel issues. 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. Rheumatoid arthritis is rated under its own rating system. These types of lawyers have experience dealing with the laws and rules that govern the VA and may have ideas and suggestions for increasing or challenging your VA disability rating. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ratings will fall between 0% and 100% disability. By continuing to use our website, you agree to these updates. For example, if you receive a VA disability rating based on a general spinal injury but could have received a higher VA disability rating for IVDS, you can submit additional evidence showing that your spinal stenosis is caused by a bulging, herniated, or degenerated disc and request a re-calculation. Flexion measures 15 degrees or less, OR entire cervical spine is frozen in a favorable position. For example, 5241 spinal fusion VA rating and 5238 spinal stenosis VA rating are calculated entirely on the range of motion (ROM) of your back even though spinal fusion and spinal stenosis are very different conditions. Traumatic arthritis causes symptoms similar to other types of arthritis such as pain, inflammation, and build-up of fluid around the affected joint. Other causes of spinal stenosis may include: Arguably the most important part of the VA disability claims process is establishing service connection. . I served during peace timein theArmy. The disabilities we propose to add are: spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the central spinal canal that causes pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, most commonly due to degenerative arthritis or degenerative disc disease) (diagnostic code 5238), spondylolisthesis or segmental instability (slipping of all or part of one vertebra forward . This can be demonstrated by muscular atrophy, poor blood circulation, and limited movement of the affected body part. Whether it manifests itself in your back or through nerve pain throughout your extremities, a VA attorney can help you to obtain the medical examination and collect the records to support your VA disability claim. If a Veteran only has one joint group affected by arthritis then there must also be painful motion present in order for a rating higher than 0% to be assigned. Secondary service connection occurs when a service-connected disability causes another disability. This means that the effects of spinal stenosis are not limited to the back. The spinal cord can be squeezed causing pain and numbness in the back or weakness in one or both legs. A very common impairment caused by this nerve compression is sciatica. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Technically, the highest VA rating for a thoracolumbar spinal disability is 50 percent. The closer you are to your normal retirement age, the more likely you are to qualify for disability benefits. These ratings are added together using VA math for an overall VA disability rating for spinal stenosis. Acquired spinal stenosis is spinal stenosis due to cervical disc disease or cervical facet joint osteoarthritis. However, the VA still rates degenerative arthritis of the spine under the criteria listed for diagnostic code 5003. These are periods of acute pain severe enough for a doctor to proscribe bed rest. For example, if rheumatoid arthritis of the spine results in pain with motion, the condition will be rated according to the criteria set forth in 5003 as described above. Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Spinal Injuries, Radiculopathy VA Disability Ratings and Benefits, VA Disability Ratings for Neck Pain Explained. Spinal stenosis is a form of degenerative disc disease. If your spine is locked, but its in a favorable condition, your disability rating may be as low as 30% or 40%. 14K 1,344 9. You may not notice at the onset, but the pain will evolve slowly over time. Thank you so much Woods & Woods. Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? The rating assigned under the rating criteria for degenerative arthritis depends on how many joint groups are affected and whether there is painful motion. So, they compensate them for the disability on a secondary basis. 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 . Specifically, VA rates spinal stenosis according to its General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, outlined below: 100% - unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine Also, the VA requires that all ROM measurements be taken with a goniometer. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to stay updated on VA news, policy changes, and more. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. However, it can also be caused by herniated discs, thickened ligaments in your spine, tumors, and spinal injuries. For example, if your VA disability rating for spinal stenosis is based on total ROM but ignores a flexion ROM that would result in a higher VA disability rating, it can be challenged by pointing out the mistake and asking for a review at the same level or by a higher-level authority. The exact VA disability percentage for spinal stenosis that has caused a frozen spine depends on the position where the spine is frozen. Your final VA rating for Degenerative Disc Disease depends upon the Frequency, Severity, and Duration of symptoms, including Painful Motion, Limitation of Range of Motion (ROM), and Functional Loss or Impairment. Disability benefits are paid for service-connected disabilities. This can sometimes be difficult to establish. Under the VA regulations, you may request an extra-schedular rating for your 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. The spine is considered as a minor joint. You must have a positive imaging test (MRI, . 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. In severe cases, or where the use of conservative treatment options just isnt effective for you, you and your doctors may consider surgery. In most cases, the medical listing will be insufficient. 20 percent disability rating: $327.99 per month. Function: Postural support of body; extension and lateral movements of spine. SSA will consider disability claims for degenerative disc disease that are supported by medical evidence such as: Physical examination for type and location of pain, range of motion, nerve function, sensation, and muscle strength, with a full review of the entirety of symptoms Diagnostic imaging tests (such as MRI, CT scans, and x-rays) The RO also assigned an initial 40 percent rating for the disability effective November 8, 2006. The disability rating is the highest rating produced by the rating tables. If your MRIs dont show a significant stenosis, but you are experiencing severe back pain that still inhibits your ability to work, and you have.
How Much Cheese Per Pound Of Sausage,
How Communism Affected China's Foreign Policy,
Find Lipstick Shade From Picture,
La Crosse County Arrests,
Articles S