Veterans who struggle with mobility or chronic pain may be unable to find work. Back conditions typically correspond to the thoracolumbar spine, which is composed of several different types of vertebrae. To be eligible for this, you must have a disability that is rated at 60% or higher by the service provider. The VA Disability Rating for Degenerative Disc Disease: A Guide by Berry Law is an important source. This condition causes the discs between the vertebrae to lose their proper cushioning, fragment, and herniate. FINDING OF FACT The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's obstructive The ratings for the peripheral nerves are for unilateralinvolvement when bilateral, combine with application of the bilateral factor. You may also qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability. Though the practice was effective in reducing large quantities of waste, the burn pits emitted large clouds of toxic smoke which was later proven to cause many adverse health conditions. To qualify for service-connected compensation for allergic rhinitis, veterans must prove that their condition was caused by or aggravated by their time spent in service. Despite how much pain the condition causes, the maximum VA disability rating for degenerative disc disease, as mentioned above, is typically 20 percent. Military burn pits are large areas of land that were used by the United States military to incinerate waste in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan in the post-9/11 era. Degenerative disc disease is a common disability among Veterans. Tingling and numbness may not last for long periods of time; however, these symptoms may be a sign of possible nerve damage. However, there are a few ways veterans can increase their DDD VA rating. Get to know us through our videos. Muscle spasm will greatly assist the identification. Other spinal conditions cause people to change how they walk, which can lead to leg and knee issues. Yes, retrolisthesis can be considered a disability by the SSA. Depending on the number of joints affected, VA rates degenerative disc disease between 10% and 20%. Va Disability Rating For Degenerative Disc Disease Military service can place an incredible amount of stress on the body. Additionally, surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to herbicides (such as. Medical diagnosis of Degenerative Disc Disease in a medical record (Service Treatment Records, VA medical records, or private medical records), #2. According to the VA disability rating formula, it is usually 20 percent for someone suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip due to severe pain. Degenerative Disc Disease VA Disability Benefits - Woods and Woods, LLC Others develop a more serious condition DDD , which is a lifelong condition that has the potential to cause significant disability. When a herniation of the disc occurs as a result of degeneration, it is the most common surgical treatment for this condition. This condition can flare up in a few days to a few weeks, causing lasting pain. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Pain that worsens when sitting (while seated, the discs of the lower back have 3x more load on them than when standing). Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should befor the mild, or at most, the moderate degree. In some cases, degenerative disc disease also causes weakness, numbness, and hot, shooting pains in the arms or legs. 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. In fact, physicians have often held that such long durations of bedrest can actually do more harm for disabilities of the spine than they can help. The pain severity and frequency, as well as the individuals age and occupation, all play an important role in determining its severity. However, if VA examiners arrive at this conclusion, they must provide adequate rationale to support their determination. Your Degenerative Disc Disease was caused or made worse by your active-duty military service OR by another service connected disability for secondary service connection (Nexus for service connection), #3. In more severe cases, Degenerative Disc Disease can cause weakness, numbness, and shooting or throbbing pain in the arms or legs, which is a painful condition knows as Radiculopathy. If a veteran can prove that their service-connected spinal condition was the primary cause of the secondary condition, they may qualify as having a secondary service-connection condition. you viewed to avoid repetition. It states that your degenerative disc disorder needs to have caused a compromised nerve root of the spinal cord or you need to provide proof that the root compression causes spinal pain, restricted spinal movement, a reduction in motor function and muscle weakness including loss of reflexes and touch. Va Disability Rating For Degenerative Disc Disease When a nerve root is compressed, it becomes inflamed. Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) considers the diagnosis of Cervical Facet Syndrome to be synonymous with the diagnosis of Osteoarthritis of the Cervical Spine. VA Disability Ratings for Scoliosis Explained | CCK Law Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. What is the Degenerative Disc Disease VA Rating? Do you wonder what is the maximum disability rating for degenerative disc disease? Though back and neck conditions both stem from the spine in most instances, VA rates them as separate disabilities. Do You Deserve a Higher VA Disability Rating? Usually this happens when a veteran experiences symptoms or limitations that are not considered by the rating schedule. He is the founder and main author of brandonorthopedics.com, a website that offers valuable resources, tips, and advice for patients looking to learn more about orthopedic treatments and physiotherapy. Just fill out the form and we. If you are unable to work because of a disability, you may be able to get a Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) deferment. Degenerative disc disease is a condition that develops and progresses over time. Any limitation of Range of Motion (ROM) should be measured with a Goniometer by the medical professional at your VA C&P Exam for Back Pain. But for others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack. The condition occurs when the discs between vertebrae lose cushioning, fragment, and herniate.Many factorscan lead to DDD, including heavy lifting, family. It is very common to receive only a 10 or 20 percent rating for neck or back conditions. If you have degenerative disc disease as a service-connected condition, you must be able to prove that you have received VA disability benefits. Degenerative disc disease is the result of disc degeneration in the spine. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. Neck Conditions: How To Get VA Disability - The Veterans Law Office The doctor must perform a goniometer test on you to determine your ability to move. DDD can also cause radiculopathy, herniation discs, neurological impairments, and spinal stenosis, in addition to other conditions. A veterans Degenerative Disc Disease VA disability can be rated at 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 100%. ELITE Success: Its Never Too Late to Get Correctly Rated, How to Get a VA Rating for Veteran Orthopedic Conditions. Furthermore, Depression is one of the most common comorbidities in veterans with chronic low back pain. Fighting insurance companies and the VA is what we do 24/7. It is the intention to recognize painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint. Knowing how VA ratings for degenerative disc di. However, many Veterans struggle to get degenerative disc disease VA disability compensation.. Smoke from military burn pits have had both short- and long-term health effects on those exposed. This information is made available for educational purposes only and to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. However, if you can prove that your degenerative disc disease was connected to your military service, you will receive a disability rating from the VA. All of the medical documentation that you have gathered for your VA disability rating can be used as evidence in your SSDI application. Our attorneys answer this question and more in the following text. This evidence will show that you are suffering from degenerative disc disease due to conditions on the job. These cookies dont collect information that identifies you. If your doctor won't write an opinion, make the argument yourself on VA Form 21-4138, including applicable CFR regulations, and submit it with the VA 21-526EZ disability claims form. Hes battled medical issues for years, and the Air Force veteran was pretty sure he was underrated by the How to Service-Connect Your Orthopedic Disabilities If youre a veteran dealing with pain from an orthopedic condition, youre not alone. They all go together, so make sure you work with an experienced lawyer to get ratings for all of them. Bulging discs are rated based on the number of incapacitating episodes that have occurred due to the disability. VA Disability Rating for Neck Pain (Cervicalgia), Cervical Spine Pain, & Neck Arthritis The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) views conditions of the spine through two main categoriesneck and back. Five bones fused into atriangular shape, form the sacrum. The effects of DDD can be severe on a disabled Veterans family and finances. Due to the extra bodily wear and tear brought on by What is Degenerative Disc Disease in Veterans? Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! Other neck conditions have maximum schedular ratings of 40 percent or lower. Brandon Callahan, MD is a board-certified orthopedic physician with a decade of experience in providing comprehensive orthopedic care to patients with musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. What is Retrolisthesis and Can I Qualify for Disability Benefits? Lay evidence that you had the condition while in service. CCK Recognized for Donations to American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial, CCK Successfully Argues for a Precedential Decision About Protected Work Environment, A Day in the Life of a Paralegal (Claims Advocate) at CCK. If you have a disc problem, you may require surgery to replace it or to fusion your vertebrae. VA Rating for Degenerative Disc Disease - Hill & Ponton, P.A. The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint. Many Vets have developed serious asthma even chronic asthma because of exposure to harmful burn pit pollutants. This uneven shift in weight may then contribute to complications in your lower back. Our attorneys will use our expertise to help you fight for your benefits. TDIU, or total disability based on individual unemployability, occurs when a veteran is unable to work as a direct result of their service-connected disability or condition. It is important to learn more about this condition and the process of recovering VA disability benefits. confirm with the actual CFR for VA disability ratings but this one has seemed to be very accurate with it. Social Security Medical Evaluations With IVDS, these discs may be displaced at the lumbar, cervical, or thoracic areas of the spine. The rating criteria can often leave veterans with IVDS short-changed because it is based on the amount of bedrest prescribed by a doctor. Degenerative Disc Disease Disability Claim for Benefits Doctors seldom check a patient's ability to stoop, bend, or crouch during an examination, and yet bending, stooping, and crouching are the three primary nonexertional limitations that disability examiners look for when they evaluate the RFC of applicants with degenerative disc disease. The Disability Application Process VA 38 CFR 4.71a, Schedule of Ratings, Musculoskeletal System, contact the VA Accredited Attorneys at VetLaw, Your arthritis rating may turn into a spinal fusion claim, Chances Of Winning Disability In Federal Court. Additionally, the rating criteria does not take other symptoms or daily limitations into account, such as difficulty sitting, standing, lifting, or bending. The process to receive approval for these benefits is often tedious and frustrating. What is the Maximum Disability Rating for Degenerative Disc Disease? Consult with our nationally recognized law firm to receive assistance. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! An examination by VA must confirm the limitations of motion in the presence of swelling, muscle spasms, or evidence of painful motion. Asthma symptoms will vary from person to person. DEgenerative disc disease is typically rated as a 20% disability by the VA. Disability due to diseases (such as arthritis, degenerative joint or disc disease, or . Degenerative disc disease symptoms vary depending on the person. Degenerative disc disease is known to be a condition that develops over time. Common signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis include: Veterans may develop this condition as a result of their active-duty military service, and they may be entitled to VA disability benefits. The SSA gets many applications for disability based on degenerative disc disease, and most of them get denied unless other physical or mental problems are present as well. VA Disability Ratings for Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) | CCK Law (2023) To receive an extraschedular disability rating, you must show the VA why your condition is worse than the 50% maximum. You're not alone. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. These cases are classified as higher in severity. The people serving in our military work hard. You must be able to demonstrate the severity of your disability in order to receive the proper disability rating. A little used part of the musculoskeletal system may be expected to show evidence of disuse, either through atrophy, the condition of the skin, absence of normal callosity or the like. The spine can affect every other part of your body. Secondly, your condition needs to be able to meet any of the blue book listings for musculoskeletal diseases. If this is the case, contact us. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. These include aging, injury, and genetics. Despite how much pain the condition causes, the maximum VA disability rating for degenerative disc disease, as mentioned above, is typically 20 percent . In addition, numerous research studies have shown a link between Degenerative Disc Disease and Radiculopathy; there is a strong bidirectional relationship where each disorder adversely influences the other one. Some of which are listed below: Diagnostic codes 5242 and 5243 are reserved for arthritis and spinal disc conditions. 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. Sometimes the VA Regional Office (RO) will request you attend aCompensation and Pension (C&P) examto assess your degenerative disc disease. If so, then you need the help of an experienced attorney. It can also result in numbness and tingling in the upper or lower extremities. You may be eligible for a secondary service connection if your degeneration of your disc progresses over time. The ratings also factor in whether a veteran feels pain, stiffness, or aching in their spine. There is no cure for degenerative disc disease, but there are treatments that can help to manage the symptoms and slow the progression of the condition. VA determines a disability rating based on the severity of symptoms, but anatomical damage and functional loss are also considered.
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