NOTE: Entitlement of a spinal condition includes spinal stenosis. We advocate for the disabled. The only problem is that I have had spinal fusion on my lower back on oct 8 2008, I was faxing the DAV all my information as I would get it from the doctors. You must have a positive imaging test (MRI, . 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. Incomplete paralysis can be determined as severe, moderately severe, moderate, or mild with disability ratings as low as 10 percent. Our doctors know how service-connected disabilities work, so they know what to look for in your file. This makes sense because a spine frozen in an unfavorable position would place the greatest stress on the body and have the greatest impact on the veterans ability to work. As you can see, ROM measurements play a significant role in rating spinal conditions. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. Spinal stenosis can be a difficult disability to deal with because of the breadth and variety of symptoms you may experience. Lumbar Stenosis Symptoms Numbness or tingling in your arm or leg, weakness in your arm or leg, pain or cramping in your legs when you walk, and back pain. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. An increase at this point for a spine disability requires additional loss of range of motion, ankylosis, or . Thus, if the flexion ROM measurement produces a 40% VA disability percentage and the total ROM measurement produces a 30% VA disability percentage, the VA disability percentage for spinal stenosis would be 40%. An. 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. Severe paralysis of long periods can be shown by muscular atrophy, poor blood circulation, and limited functionality of the affected body part. 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. If your service-related stenosis causes a secondary condition, that condition would be rated separately by the VA. have the greatest impact on the veterans ability to work. The VA disability rating for spinal stenosis will be based on both individual ROM measurements and the total ROM measurement. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 It is the problems that may be CAUSED by Spinal Stenosis that are rateable. 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 Degenerative arthritis is the chronic breakdown of the cartilage surrounding the joints. A favorable position means that the spine is frozen at the baseline position or 0% flexion. Given this variety of symptoms, it is easy to understand how spinal stenosis can be misdiagnosed. Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 When spinal stenosis causes additional disabilities, those problems may qualify as secondary service-connected disabilities. You may also qualify for a 100% rating if your back injury renders you unemployable. Depending on what joint is affected, there will be an identifying diagnostic code assigned to the condition. When pursuing a VA disability rating for back pain, its important to know your options. Spinal stenosis is a degenerative disc disease that occurs when there is pressure placed on the nerves in your spine. we represent clients nationwide. For example, the specific code for degenerative arthritis of the spine is 5242. Disability Evaluation Under Social Security 1.00 Musculoskeletal Disorders - Adult Section 1.01 Category of Impairments, Musculoskeletal . If radiculopathy is caused by a low back condition, the individuals will feel the symptoms in the lower extremities (thigh, calf, foot). By continuing to use our website, you agree to these updates. 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. These cookies collect information about how you use our website. Hill & Ponton P.A. Function: Postural support of body; extension and lateral movements of spine. The spine is considered as a minor joint. . If your condition meets the listing criteria, it will automatically be considered a disability. . However, you may get a 100% VA disability rating for up to one year after serious back surgery, such as a spinal fusion. When the spinal canal is obstructed due to spinal stenosis, abnormal narrowing occurs. The RO assigned an initial 10 percent rating for the disability, effective June 13, 1994. 5239 - VA disability rating for Spondylolisthesis or segmental instability: A condition that causes a vertebra to slide forward over the bone below it. This narrowing can be caused by physical injury or degeneration of the spine. Spinal stenosis is a disabling condition caused by the narrowing of the gaps between individual spinal vertebrae. Lumbar IVDS accounts for 62% of all disc disease. Conversely, when the lumbar spine (the lower section of the back) is affected, symptoms may cause pain and nerve sensations in the back, legs, and feet. Extraschedular VA Disability Ratings Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Back braces or corsets are $200 or more. A very common impairment caused by this nerve compression is sciatica. 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. Not necessarily, but its worth looking at your C-File to see if you had spinal stenosis during your service and it was incorrectly diagnosed. In severe cases, it can lead to myelopathy, paralysis, bladder and bowel incontinence or retention, headaches, and other debilitating symptoms. You may not notice at the onset, but the pain will evolve slowly over time. This includes the shoulder, wrist, elbow, hip, knee ankle, fingers, toes, spine, and the sacroiliac joint. Thus, when a bulging or herniated disc in the cervical spine region causes six weeks of incapacitating episodes per year, you would be eligible for a 60% VA disability rating for neck pain. 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. Claims involving both the cervical spine and the thoracolumbar spine are rated under the same general rating formula. In most cases, foraminal stenosis is caused by gradual degeneration of the spine that happens as you age. Claims involving both the cervical spine and the thoracolumbar spine are rated under the same general rating formula. Call 800-544-9144 today for a free case evaluation or contact us here. For example: Suppose you were diagnosed with whiplash as a result of a Humvee accident while you were in the service. Rather, they are added using VA math. Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 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: Chicago, IL: 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Floors 8 and 9, Chicago, IL 60604 As mentioned above, many different joints are rated under the rating criteria for degenerative arthritis. If your spinal stenosis was caused by another service-connected disability, you can apply for secondary service connection. Spinal stenosis is typically diagnosed with x-rays or MRIs of the spine showing a narrowing of the spinal canal. 4.71a Schedule of ratings - musculoskeletal system. If you have multiple disability ratings, we use them to calculate . 100% VA disability rating for spinal cancer. Similarly, you can challenge a VA disability rating that could be increased through the submission of additional evidence. All but 10% of lumbar IVDS is at the L4-L5 or L5-S1 level. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My name is [K.S]. If you believe your current spinal injuries are the result of military service, you could receive VA disability for spinal stenosis. For a Veteran to get a disability service connected, they must: If a Veteran can prove all three elements listed above, they should be given a disability rating by the department of Veterans affairs. If two or more major OR minor groups are affected a 20% rating will be assigned if the arthritis is occasionally incapacitating. Causes can include herniated or bulging spinal discs. Disability benefits are paid for service-connected disabilities. This type of rejection can sometimes be overcome if you can point to a specific incident that worsened your condition. ). I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction with spinal issues and VA ratings. Disability Benefits by Percentage Rating and Dependent Status (As of 2020). you have shown that there is was an incident in service and that you have a current disability, When the VA awards service-connection for a condition/disease, it has to determine how much to award for the condition/disease. As with most medical conditions, the VA disability rating for back pain depends on a variety of factors. Another way to connect your disability to your service is to show that you had been diagnosed with spinal stenosis prior to your service, and the condition worsened during your service. Other back impairments have a maximum schedular rating of 60 percent or lower. For some veterans, the objective criteria in the disability rating schedule may not accurately reflect their true level of disability. The same veteran with a 100% disability rating would receive $3,106.04. Both of these must be true: You have a health condition that's caused by exposure to Agent Orange, and You served in a location that exposed you to Agent Orange Keep reading for the full eligibility requirements. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. Herniated Discs. It may result in a higher rating, and therefore a greater monthly disability compensation amount. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 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 . If your spinal stenosis or foraminal stenosis is service-connected, or if your condition was aggravated because of your military service, you may qualify for VA disability compensation. With extensive experience working with VA disability claims, Berry Law can help you with your disability appeals. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. If your case of spinal stenosis does not result in limits on your ROM, you may receive a low VA disability rating even though your condition interferes with your quality of life and earning capacity. VA physicians will measure your range of motion in six places, using a goniometer. Case Info Step 2. These cookies are essential so that you can move around the website and use its features. The VA awards disability ratings for incapacitating episodes as follows: You may be asked to take a compensation & pension exam (C&P exam). you may be able to get a higher rating due to incapacitating episodes. However, the VA disability rating for spinal stenosis is calculated exactly the same as other spinal diseases and injuries. Your spinal stenosis may force you to stop working before normal retirement age because you can't do certain things. Background In 2017, 4.5 million veterans with medical conditions or injuries that occurred or worsened during active-duty service received disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 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. The exact VA disability percentage for spinal stenosis that has caused a frozen spine depends on the position where the spine is frozen. Although this type of arthritis is most common in the small joints of the hands and feet, it can occur in any joint. Already working with us? It may also cause bladder and bowel issues. The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. Errors are frequently made when rating conditions. They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. A veteran's Degenerative Disc Disease VA disability can be rated at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 100%. 20 percent disability rating: $327.99 per month. If the spine is frozen in a favorable position, the disability rating may be capped at 40%. 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. This condition causes small bones in your spine to fuse in place to one another, sometimes resulting in significant range-of-motion loss. Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. VA rates spinal stenosis according to 38 CFR 4.71a - Schedule of Ratings, Musculoskeletal System, Diagnostic Code 5238. THE ISSUE. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. 20% Spinal Stenosis VA Rating They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. Its never too late to apply for VA benefits. In severe cases, or where the use of conservative treatment options just isnt effective for you, you and your doctors may consider surgery. Less frequently, stenosis can occur in the upper back (thoracic). Muscle spasms are involuntary contractions or extensions of muscles. The most straightforward pathway to fulfilling this criterion is a diagnosis of spinal stenosis in your military records. Pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and loss of motor control are some of the symptoms of the condition. 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. Also, the VA requires that all ROM measurements be taken with a goniometer. 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 muscles: Sacrospinalis (erector spinae and its prolongations in thoracic and cervical regions). Spinal stenosis is a form of degenerative disc disease. 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. Flexion measures 30 degrees or less, OR entire thoracolumbar spine is frozen in a favorable position. In most cases, the medical listing will be insufficient. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ratings will fall between 0% and 100% disability. 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, Your spinal stenosis may be accompanied by other back conditions, including, Lumbosacral or cervical strain (diagnostic code 5237) used to refer to neck or, Spondylolisthesis/segmental instability (, Ankylosing spondylitis (diagnostic code 5240) a painful type of spinal arthritis. Theres no presumptive benefit the burden is on the veteran to demonstrate a service connection to the stenosis. In a February 2007 rating decision, the RO granted service connection for spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. 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. Many people with spinal stenosis and other back injuries experience anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems. A total disability rating (100 percent) will be assigned without regard to other provisions of the rating schedule when it is established by report at hospital discharge (regular discharge or release to non-bed care) or outpatient release that entitlement is warranted under paragraph (a) (1), or of this section . For example, if the spine is frozen tilted to one side or leaning forward, that would constitute an unfavorable position. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in New York, New York. Cincinnati, OH: 300 E Business Way, Suite 200, Summit Woods Corporate Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45241 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) 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). Veterans looking to receive VA disability for spinal stenosis often develop the disability due to an injury to the spine. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Typically, this would be established by medical records from your time in the military showing that your condition worsened.