for L3 -L4 L4-L5 L5- S1 in the past they are rating as post operative residuals of . 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. 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. Depending on what joint is affected, there will be an identifying diagnostic code assigned to the condition. Often, spinal stenosis is caused by the formation of bone spurs that grow into your spinal canal. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. 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. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 If you believe your current spinal injuries are the result of military service, you could receive VA disability for spinal stenosis. WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL. Feel free to call us at (866) 232-5777 anytime. If spinal stenosis is suspected, your doctor may order X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or CT or CT myelogram. 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. 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. This can lead to a misdiagnosis of spinal stenosis. Because there are technically two diagnostic codes associated with one condition, you would see the condition listed on rating decisions as 5242-5003. We have updated our Privacy Policy. 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 Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense guidelines are based upon the best information available at the time of publication. It may result in a higher rating, and therefore a greater monthly disability compensation amount. In order to ensure that youre getting the most out of your disability claim, you need to understand how the VA rates your condition. Canes range from $25 to $100 and walkers can be more than $200. Spinal stenosis in the neck can cause: Numbness Tingling or weakness in a hand, leg, foot or arm Problems with walking and balance Neck pain Problems with the bowel or bladder Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Getting Veterans (VA) Disability for Spinal Injuries, Radiculopathy VA Disability Ratings and Benefits, VA Disability Ratings for Neck Pain Explained. VA rates spinal stenosis according to 38 CFR 4.71a Schedule of Ratings, Musculoskeletal System, Diagnostic Code 5238. Spinal stenosis is most commonly experienced in the neck and lower part of the back. 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 . Spine Condition Ratings. Spinal stenosis caused by IVDS qualifies for a separate IVDS disability rating and you are entitled to the higher of the two ratings. Cincinnati, OH: 300 E Business Way, Suite 200, Summit Woods Corporate Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45241 It is the problems that may be CAUSED by Spinal Stenosis that are rateable. 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. We assign you a disability rating based on the severity of your service-connected condition. When you visit web sites, they may store or retrieve data in your web browser. 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. 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) That is, they get it wrong more than half the time. Since that time, we have provided compassionate Veterans looking to receive VA disability for spinal stenosis often develop the disability due to an injury to the spine. A fair VA disability rating for spinal stenosis can be difficult to obtain. However, Veterans can also receive disability compensation on a secondary basis. 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. It will also help if someone else in your division remembers what happened. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Spinal stenosis is a form of degenerative disc disease. If the entire spine is frozen in an unfavorable position, the disability rating may be as high as 100%. Spinal stenosis can cause symptoms throughout the body. What is the diagnostic code for traumatic arthritis? I bought a home. yet assertive representation for our clients. As evidenced by the rating schedules below, the only back condition eligible for a 100 percent schedular rating is unfavorable ankylosis (immobility) of the entire spine. General VA Disability Compensation Benefits Claims Forums . For instance, which pages you go to most. An. This condition causes small bones in your spine to fuse in place to one another, sometimes resulting in significant range-of-motion loss. Your doctors will also discuss ongoing treatment and support needs, physical and occupational therapy, and try to identify and treat any worsening symptoms or functions. Other back impairments have a maximum schedular rating of 60 percent or lower. With regard to the medical opinion, doctors must state that your condition is at least as likely as not due to your time in service. For example, the specific code for degenerative arthritis of the spine is 5242. means your spine is locked but more or less vertical, so you can still sit at a desk chair, for example. A veteran's Degenerative Disc Disease VA disability can be rated at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 100%. VA Disability Claims List: What Conditions Can Veterans Claim? Under 38 CFR 4.73, injuries to neck muscles are compensated differently depending on the severity of the impairment and the muscles affected. You may not notice at the onset, but the pain will evolve slowly over time. This impinges on the nerves themselves, which can cause pain, tingling numbness, and muscle weakness. Because c-spine stenosis is a degenerative illness, a person's condition will continue to deteriorate . Entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic low back pain from multilevel degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety And more. These two types of spinal stenosis can be summarized as follows: Some people with spinal stenosis do not exhibit symptoms. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Later you develop a spinal stenosis in your neck (cervical) area. Prosthetic replacement of knee joint: For 1 year following implantation of prosthesis 100 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 disability rating may be even lower depending on the segment of the spine that is frozen. Want to know if you qu. This includes the shoulder, wrist, elbow, hip, knee ankle, fingers, toes, spine, and the sacroiliac joint. If two or more major OR minor groups are affected a 20% rating will be assigned if the arthritis is occasionally incapacitating. 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. Claims involving both the cervical spine and the thoracolumbar spine are rated under the same general rating formula. The spine is considered as a minor joint. Your spinal stenosis may force you to stop working before normal retirement age because you can't do certain things. Symptoms vary depending on the location of the stenosis and which nerves are affected. 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. At Hill & Ponton, we have helped thousands of veterans successfully resolve their disability claims with the VA. For a free, confidential, no-obligation evaluation of your case, contact us today. Surgery can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $150,000 with a microdiscectomy or discectomy being the least expensive and spinal fusion costing the most. Forever Grateful, [K.S.]. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. For a cervical spine that is frozen in a favorable position, the disability rating may be capped at 30%. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. You could be entitled to $3,627 per month! The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. . They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. Incomplete but severe paralysis of the sciatic nerve could then result in a 60 percent disability rating according to the social security administration. Under the IVDS schedule, a VA disability rating can be obtained based on the number and frequency of incapacitated episodes in which bed rest is ordered by a physician. Depending on what joint is affected, there will be an identifying diagnostic code assigned to the condition. This is known as secondary service connection. Because the symptoms of spinal stenosis are not limited to back pain and ROM, you can investigate whether there are alternate options for obtaining a fair VA disability rating. Finally, the general VA disability ratings table for spinal injuries and diseases allows ratings based on muscle guarding, muscle spasm, or tenderness in your back. Most of the time, spinal stenosis occurs in the lower back and the neck. This means that the effects of spinal stenosis are not limited to the back. The VA assigns rating percentages based on the frequency of incapacitating episodes. 100% VA disability rating for spinal cancer. Berry Law is a team full of Veterans, with attorneys from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. This misdiagnosis can affect a later disability claim for spinal stenosis, although it can be countered by evidence showing the diagnosis was, in fact, made in error. They fought hard for me and got me more than I ever could dream of. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! 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. Foraminal stenosis is the narrowing or the tightening of the openings located between the bones of your spine. Yes No Does applicant expect to be out of work for at least 12 months? Causes can include herniated or bulging spinal discs. Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 While these codes may seem important, the rating formula is the same whether you suffer from spinal stenosis, intervertebral disc syndrome, vertebral dislocation or fracture or another condition. Contact a VA attorney who can assist you wherever you live and without regard to whether you were deployed. Berry Law gets Veterans the disability compensation they earned. 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). During the months after surgery, veterans are entitled to a 100% disability rating so they can recover from the procedure. we represent clients nationwide. Acquired spinal stenosis is spinal stenosis due to cervical disc disease or cervical facet joint osteoarthritis. Do you have a low back (lumbar) injury related to your military service? Over time, you will attend additional annual exams at an area SCI Center. 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. Most issues that cause temporary (not chronic) back pain receive a VA disability rating between 10%-40%. However, it can also be caused by herniated discs, thickened ligaments in your spine, tumors, and spinal injuries. We guide our clients through the most difficult times in their lives with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. To facilitate this process, the VA has created a ratings table. QUALIFYING STATEMENTS . These mistakes cost veterans at least $5.9 million in payments over the period studied. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Lawyers 6940 O St, Suite 400 Lincoln, NE 68510. The information you obtain on this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. This information is not a substitute for legal advice. We get emails all the time asking if certain health problems qualify for benefits. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. The VA can reject a claim that your condition was made worse during your service if it believes that the worsening was a natural progression of the condition. However, the VA disability rating for spinal stenosis is calculated exactly the same as other spinal diseases and injuries. Use our VA disability calculator to estimate your. 4.30 Convalescent ratings. Disability benefits are paid for service-connected disabilities. In severe cases, it can lead to myelopathy, paralysis, bladder and bowel incontinence or retention, headaches, and other debilitating symptoms. Neck muscle injuries. Similarly, you can challenge a VA disability rating that could be increased through the submission of additional evidence. Because the vertebrae are closer together, they tend to compress the nerves that lie inside the spine, especially the spinal cord. The same veteran with a 100% disability rating would receive $3,106.04. In a February 2007 rating decision, the RO granted service connection for spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. A favorable position means that the spine is frozen at the baseline position or 0% flexion. 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. In fact, occasionally, the back pain associated with spinal stenosis may be dwarfed by the nerve pain experienced in the legs, feet, arms, and hands. The sum of all these degree measurements together is called the ROM (range of motion) measurement. Yes, you can.
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