Va Disability Rating For Cervical Arthritis

Lumbosacral or cervical strain diagnostic code 5237 used to refer to neck or back pain.

Va disability rating for cervical arthritis. Hello all 1st time poster but i have read many of the other posts and i hope someone here can help me. Lumbosacral or cervical strain. What you read here is current at the time of this writing according to the VA but disability percentage rating procedures criteria and amounts are always subject to change through legislation VA policy etc. Degenerative arthritis of the spine.

VA Disability Ratings for Spinal Stenosis. However a VA rating for Sciatica can range from 10 to 80 depending upon the severity of symptoms. The General Counsel Opinions related to this topic VAOPGCPREC 23-97 VAOPGCREC 9-98 VAOPGCPREC 9-2004 allow for multiple ratings for arthritis to be assigned to each affected joint this is not considered pyramiding with numerous BVA decisions supporting these ratings Citation Number 1017323 that assign separate diagnostic codes for each condition to accurately describe the disability. Similar to VA disability ratings for back pain VA uses the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine under 38 CFR 471a to evaluate the majority of neck pain conditions.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not assign a single disability rating for arthritis. The VA awards disability compensation for each Back and Spine condition that is service-connectedThe DoD will also rate service-connected conditions as long as they also make the service member Unfit for DutyFor Reservists the condition must have occurred in or resulted from an injury in the Line of Duty to qualify. The Musculoskeletal System is vast and. The VA disability rating system for spinal stenosis is the same general formula as for other similar spinal conditions including.

That formula actually covers both the cervical and thoracolumbar parts of the spine. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims issued a decision last month that could make it easier for veterans with injuries to the back neck and joints to obtain higher disability ratings. The following percentages are available under the rating criteria for rheumatoid arthritis. This will be determined on whether there is forward flexion greater than 30 degrees but less than 60 degrees.

The highest possible VA disability rating for Radiculopathy across all radicular groups with complete paralysis is 90. Use our VA Disability Calculator to estimate your combined VA rating and monthly entitlement here. They rated this at zero due to my not asking for it. The formula that VA uses to rate back disabilities with a diagnosis code between 5235 and 5242is the same.

According to the VA flexibility must be fairly limited to even get a 20 percent disability rating. Veterans suffering from osteoarthritis may be eligible for disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs VA. The VA disability rating system separates orthopedic conditions affecting the spine into neck conditions the cervical spine and back conditions the thoracolumbar spine. Under the VA rating schedule there is a standard 20 disability rating if there is x-ray evidence of involvement of two or more major joints or minor joint groups with occasional incapacitating exacerbations.

To be rated at 10 percent for arthritis of the spine veterans must have X-ray evidence revealing two or more major joints or two or more groups of minor joints are afflicted by degenerative arthritis of the back. The diagnostic code for rheumatoid arthritis is 5002. The VA doesnt usually give 100 TDIU for just a single disability. How Arthritis in the Spine is Rated by Veterans Affairs.

It will take twenty-nine 10 ratings to add up to 100 TDIU but every rating counts when you are doing VA Math. Major joints include the shoulder wrist elbow hip knee and ankle while minor joints include toes fingers spine and sacroiliac. Meaning that if you are significantly limited in your ability to bend at the waist you might qualify for the 20 percent rating. Much depends on the nature and severity of the condition.

Using these ratings which are still commonly used will result in ratings no higher than 30. Osteoarthritis OA is the most common form of arthritis and is defined by Mayo Clinic as a degenerative condition in which the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. The closest you could get with the fewest ratings would be to have a 40 or 50 rating for your neck and then another 40 rating for something else. In 2020 VA ratings for Radiculopathy typically range from 0 to 70 depending upon the severity of your symptoms.

To receive a 20 percent rating for arthritis of the back X-ray evidence must show that two or more major joints or two or more groups of minor joints have degenerative arthritis of the back and produce occasional incapacitating episodes. It means that the entire spine is in flexion and a person cannot move his spine at all. For the purposes of calculating a veterans total disability rating back and neck impairments are treated as separate disabilities except for unfavorable ankylosis of both segments which is treated as a single condition. 100 if you are completely incapacitated and are confined to staying in bed.

Note that even if the Veteran is totally unemployable he cannot file for total unemployability because his rating is only 30. That gap is worthy of a VA rating. The VA assigns rating percentages based on the frequency of incapacitating episodes.