Getting TDIU for neck pain is often difficult because most of the rating tiers fall below 50%. If you cannot work or earn a living due to your condition, you may be eligible for a 100% disability rating. 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. What is the history (including onset and course) of the veterans cervical spine condition? 40. Brian Reese here, Air Force service-disabled Veteran and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. Does the veteran use any assistive devices as a normal mode of locomotion, although occasional locomotion by other methods may be possible? If youre seeking a VA disability rating for spinal fusion as a result of spinal fusion surgery, you will need to provide certain pieces of evidence to support your claim. Other Conditions That Come With Fused Vertebrae Essentially, the more limited you are, the higher your rating will be. VA uses 38 CFR 4.71a, General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine to evaluate most neck pain conditions. This report should detail what kind of procedure was performed, what level(s) of the spine was involved, and any complications that occurred during or after the surgery. VA disability will not be awarded to those who cannot prove they have long-lasting or recurring issues. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! Degenerative Disc Diseases This degeneration happens when the discs between spinal vertebrae break down over time, which can cause pain in the back, arms, neck, and legs. Back surgery will cause your rating to increase temporarily, but the permanent or even total rating will help you not have to go back to work. Neck pain refers to the top seven vertebrae of the cervical spine. Unfavorable ankylosis can result in symptoms such as: Veterans may find themselves dealing with back pain during their enlistment, or it could develop months to years after their separation from the armed forces. IVDS can also cause nerve pain in the legs and arms, depending on where the . Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 This level is basically less flexion: 30-60 of flexion for the lower to the middle back and 15-30 for your neck. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 Cervicalgia (Neck Pain) with or without symptoms such as radiating pain, stiffness, or aching around the spine affected by residuals of injury or disease to the neck and shoulder: Unfavorable ankylosis is a condition in which the entire cervical spine (neck), the entire thoracolumbar spine (mid to upper back), or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the following symptoms: Pro Tip: The thoracolumbar and cervical spine segments are evaluated separately, except when there is unfavorable ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single disability. It may take six months to a year to fully recover from the surgery. During the C&P exam, the practitioner will ask questions about the condition to see how it has changed over time. You might wonder whether or not a veteran can get increased disability benefits from the VA due to spinal fusion surgery. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! Certain conditions can cause lasting issues that dont get worse over time. Due to the veterans cervical spine condition, is there functional impairment of an extremity such that no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation with prosthesis? These diagnosed and service-connected disabilities can get you a higher rating. Twisting at the hips is also counted in your movement as part of your thoracolumbar spine. Like your legs tense up when youre about to land from a parachute jump, or the way your stomach tenses when a truck or an airplane is about to land. Pro Tip:In accordance with the Painful Motion principle, if you have pain upon flexion or extension of your neck or shoulder, the VA is required to award the minimum compensable rating for the condition, which is 10%. VA Disability Ratings for Back Pain Explained (The Definitive Guide) If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! The Ultimate Guide to VA Disability Ratings for Neck Pain It is better for your health to be diagnosed with favorable ankylosis but if you are diagnosed with unfavorable ankylosis, youll get more money to help you out. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! link) between the current, diagnosed back condition and the in-service event, injury, or illness. It depends on several factors, including the specifics of your surgery, your post-operative course, and whether you have any other disabling conditions that contribute to your overall disability rating. Most veterans are underrated for their disabilities and, therefore, not getting their due compensation. Hear from fellow Veterans just like you, with many of our Business Development Representatives having gone through our programs. VA Disability Ratings for Back Pain and Spinal Arthritis If yes, document the Veterans description of functional loss or functional impairment in his/her own words. Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service. Brian Reeseis a VA benefits expert, author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, andfounder of VA Claims InsiderThe Most Trusted Name in Education-Based Resources for Veterans.. The VA calculates the amount of disability compensation according to how significantly a spine condition affects the range of motion. The important part is that the veteran proves the pain is not merely subjective. The combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; or. Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, 9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim. It is common for secondary conditions to occur from orthopedic disabilities. The ratings range from 10% (minor afflictions) to 100% (significant impairment of the entire spine). This is done to decrease the damage, pain, and discomfort that a disease or injury causes. He is aformer active duty Air Force officerwith extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. A veteran's Degenerative Disc Disease VA disability can be rated at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 100%. Philadelphia, PA: 1 International Plaza, Suite 550, Philadelphia, PA, 19113 yet assertive representation for our clients. Common ailments that may necessitate spinal fusion include: Before understanding how VA ratings for spinal fusion work, you will first need to understand how to connect the spinal fusion to a service-related injury to be eligible for VA benefits. 10% - forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees; or, combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 120 degrees but not greater than 235 degrees. When, after careful consideration of all evidence, a reasonable doubt arises regarding service origin, the degree of disability, or any other point, such doubt will be resolved in favor of the claimant. VA disability ratings for spinal fusion determine the degree of spine movement possible without intolerable pain. However, if you can work or perform some daily activities, the VA will assign a disability rating based on how severely your condition impacts your ability to function, according to the rating criteria. Does the veteran have a diagnosis of a neck condition? VA Disability Ratings for Neck and Shoulder Pain range from 10% to 100%, with breaks at 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Each of these veterans benefits have different eligibility criteria so be VA Disability Rating for Cervicalgia: Basic Eligibility Criteria. Neck pain is known to cause migraines, sleep issues, and radiculopathy. Medical records could also be included such as X-rays or MRIs. The highest scheduler rating for neck pain is 100 percent, which means your entire spine is frozen in an unfavorable position. Its no secret that many veterans suffer back pain from spinal injuries. The combined range of motion, however, is found by adding your degree of flexion in all four directions. The VA can give you a rating for unfavorable ankylosis of the thumb and any finger. Each direction, forward, backward, left, and right will get an angle of flexion measurement. Additionally, thoracolumbar combined movement should be less than 120, and cervical combined movement should measure less than 170. Asthma secondary to Allergies. The older the veteran gets, the more of these they will have. Although cervical spondylosis is just a term to explain aging, if it happens faster than its supposed to, you may be eligible for VA compensation. VA Ratings for Neck Painrange from 10 percent to 100 percent, with breaks at 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, and 50 percent. Many natural conditions are also accelerated by time spent in the service. After all these assessments, the test practitioner will send VA an opinion about whether or not they believe your condition is related to your time in the military. Unfavorable Ankylosis does bring in higher VA Ratings than favorable. What is VA rating for cervicalgia ? VA disability rating for neck pain Veterans nowadays may have to sit for multiple hours a day. Note that a veteran is eligible to be rated for both a neck condition, back condition, and Radiculopathy secondary to multipole extremities. This means you do NOT currently have the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve, and you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits each month. Updated: October 24, 2022. VA Ratings are based on your flexion, or how far you can bend your neck, or they are based on the paralysis in your hands and feet because of your spine problems. ), Disabling spinal contours like being hunchback or kyphosis. To receive compensation for a neck injury disability, veterans must be able to prove that their neck pain was caused or aggravated by their time in the military. Just like driving a truck with bad shocks, that bumpy ride on your back wears out the equipment really quick. 40% - unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or, forward flexion of the . The answer is that it depends. In this guide, well explore how to get a Cervicalgia VA Rating (Neck Pain) even if youve already filed or been denied VA benefits in the past. This means your mid and upper back is frozen in an unfavorable position. The VA rating for unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine is 40%. They will also consider your age, education, and employment history. Cervical Fusion - Veterans Benefits Network Once the VA granted a service connection, a percentage rating will be assigned. Veterans are not awarded compensation for neck issues that were present at one time but have since healed or gone away. Without it, your claim will be automatically denied. VA Disability Ratings for Spinal Fusion - Woods and Woods, LLC What are the VA Disability Ratings for Neck and Shoulder Pain? As of this writing, a total of 1,129,931 disabled veterans are service connected for neck conditions. These synthetic substances help promote bone growth and speed the fusion of the vertebrae. They keep you informed. VA Disability Rating for Neck Pain | The Tuley Law Office Military records that explain an activity or incident which may have led to neck pain can also help establish a relationship between service and the neck condition. This erases the need for an official opinion from a medical professional. Its important to ensure that your ratings are accurate, especially if they worsen, as an increase as small as 10% is the difference between thousands of dollars a year. Spinal fusion may help stabilize the spine after the removal of a damaged (herniated) disk. His frustration with the8-step VA disability claims processled him to createVA Claims Insider,which provides U.S. military veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned for successfully submitting or re-submitting a winning VA disability compensation claim. Spinal fusion is when two or more vertebrae in the spine are fused together as a surgical technique. Any direction of stiffness that is not straight up is considered unfavorable ankylosis. Every back pain claim should be reviewed as a possible TDIU claim. There are a lot of other ailments that are classified under IVDS, and you may have better luck getting one of those service-connected instead of general IVDS. It can include your diagnosis, independent medical opinion, medical records, and written statements from friends or family members. His eBook, the9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claimhas been downloaded more than 300,000 times in the past three years and is the #1 rated free VA disability claims guide for veterans. #4. Veterans are eligible for VA benefits if they had a neck condition prior to their time in the service that was aggravated by an event or continuous stressors.
