Review your medical records with a doctor familiar with VA law to get the best rating. A medical nexus, or link, between the in-service event and current diagnosis. The term incomplete paralysis, with this and otherperipheral nerve injuries, indicates a degree of lost or impaired functionsubstantially less than the type picture for complete paralysis given with eachnerve, whether due to varied level of the nerve lesion or to partialregeneration. The spinal disc is made up of a soft disc that separates your vertebrae and serves as a shock absorber in your spine. The term degenerative disc disease is used to describe spinal disc changes that occur over time as one ages. The following are some of the most common symptoms of degenerative disc disease: Generally, to prove service connection and secure a degenerative disc disease VA rating, veterans need evidence of the following three things: Veterans can submit a claim for VA disability benefits onVA Form 21-526EZ. As the spine wears and tears, the disc degenerates. The doctor must perform a goniometer test on you to determine your ability to move. When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should befor the mild, or at most, the moderate degree. In general, the ratings for spine conditions are based on range of motion. The condition occurs when the discs between vertebrae lose cushioning, fragment, and herniate. If accepted into our ELITE membership program, youll get free up-front access and permission to use $13,119 worth of proprietary VA claim resources, including access to our network of independent medical professionals for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible Medical Nexus Letters, which could help you get a HIGHER VA rating in LESS time. If youre having difficulty with DDD, talk with a doctor or veterans service officer to learn more about your rights and benefits. Finally, in the absence of limitation of motion, a veterans degenerative disc disease VA rating will be as follows: When assigning a disability rating based on the severity of symptoms, VA must consider both anatomical damage and functional loss. The use of a goniometer in the measurement of limitation of motion is indispensable in examinations conducted within the Department of Veterans Affairs. 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. It is very common to receive only a 10 or 20 percent rating for neck or back conditions. However, the path to getting these benefits is often filled with obstacles. Despite how much pain the condition causes, the maximum VA disability rating for degenerative disc disease, as mentioned above, is typically 20 percent. Have you been in the military and now suffer a severe spine or back-related injury? The TDIU rating gives the same amount of disability benefits as the 100% rating but does not require the full 100%. Some injuries to the spine might cause weakness in areas such as the arms, shoulders, or hips. You may be eligible for a secondary service connection if your degeneration of your disc progresses over time. This can put pressure on the nerves around the disc and cause pain. Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose, caused by an allergic reactionto specific allergens (e.g. 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. What Is the Maximum Disability Rating for Degenerative Disc Disease? Target Leave And Disability Reedgroup Com, Jailbreak Disabled Iphone Without Losing Data, What Happens If You Become Disabled While On Social Security, Complete the foot dangles and drops, no active movement possible of muscles below the knee, flexion of knee weakened or lost, Official records of a herniated disc during active duty, Medical evidence from private doctors linking the current diagnosis to an in-service injury, disease, or event that has been at least as likely as not caused the current condition. With any form of arthritis, painful motion is an important factor of disability, the facial expression, wincing, etc., on pressure or manipulation, should be carefully noted and definitely related to affected joints. Specifically, exposure to the toxins released can affect a persons lung health. Do You Qualify for Long Term Disability Benefits? This website adheres to the W3Cs AA Accessibility guidelines. For some, asthma may be a minor nuisance. Additionally, surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to herbicides (such as. The discs between your vertebrae will lose their cushioning and begin to fragment, often causing them to herniate. With IVDS, these discs may be displaced at the lumbar, cervical, or thoracic areas of the spine. Veterans who are believed to have more severe symptoms have received higher ratings from the VA in the past. Qualifying military members with degenerative disc disease can receive benefits. 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. After leaving active duty, veterans may experience chronic or worsening pain. The rating criteria for this diagnostic code is virtually the same as diagnostic code 5003, which is used to rate degenerative arthritis. Call today! They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. Diagnostic codes 5235 through 5243 of 38 CFR 4.71a, Schedule of Ratings, Musculoskeletal System are dedicated to back and neck pain. Social Security Medical Evaluations 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 final determination on whether an extraschedular rating is warranted must be made by the VA Undersecretary for Benefits or the Director of Compensation Service. As a fellow disabled Veteran this is shameful and Im on a mission to change it. Back injuries are frequently reported after military service. For VA disability purposes, the four regions listed below will be considered when it comes to your final VA rating for Radiculopathy. It can also result in numbness and tingling in the upper or lower extremities. To achieve the full disability rating, you must complete all of the steps. As is evident from the rating schedules below, the highest possible schedular rating for any single neck impairment is 60 percent for veterans with severe intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS). Furthermore, Depression is one of the most common comorbidities in veterans with chronic low back pain. Pain in the low back (lumbar), mid back (thoracic), or neck (cervical), depending on where the affected disc is, possibly even radiating to the legs, arms, and hands (Radiculopathy). What is the Degenerative Disc Disease VA Rating? If you cant move at all without discomfort or pain, make sure to let the examiner know that. Brian Reese here, Air Force service-disabled Veteran and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. It is important to learn more about this condition and the process of recovering VA disability benefits. What is Limitation of Range of Motion for VA Degenerative Disc Disease? In some cases, degenerative disc disease also causes weakness, numbness, and hot, shooting pains in the arms or legs. Our attorneys can help you answer this question and more. Fixed movement of the entire spine qualifies for a 100% rating. Waste materials commonly disposed of in these burn pits include: Many veterans who were exposed to burn pits during their service and developed asthma may be able to seek service connection under this new presumption condition related to burn pit exposure. Read Also: Chances Of Winning Disability In Federal Court. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. However, there are other conditions you need to meet before you can submit an application for disability benefits. We can assist you in obtaining VA benefits, as well as in appealing any denials. Pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling in the extremities. It can take a long time for you to develop symptoms for this condition, and doctors often do not document the things VA needs to assess your condition. Simple exercises will not cause much strain on your back and can be done at home. You must be able to demonstrate the severity of your disability in order to receive the proper disability rating. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is one of the spine conditions that qualifies for disability benefits. Brian isalso the CEOofMilitary Disability Made Easy, which is the worlds largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013. This means any job that pays at least $18,000 per year pre-tax. The VA uses diagnostic code 5003 to determine your degenerative disc disease disability rating. 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. The result is that breathing through your nose can be difficult, and the area around your eyes (your sinus cavities) might feel swollen or tender. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! These can last from a few days to a few months before getting better. In the VA rating system, orthopedic conditions affecting the spine are separated into neck conditions and back conditions. The treatment for degenerative disc disease is available in a variety of ways, and the decision is based on the individuals and the severity of the problem. This pressure can cause you to suffer from a condition known as degenerative disc disease, a spinal condition that can cause severe pain. Feeling better while walking or even running than while sitting or standing for long periods of time. degenerative disc disease is a progressive condition, meaning that it typically gets worse over time. 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. Spine conditions are usually rated based upon how limited your back or neck range of motion is. This condition necessitates that people avoid activities that are too heavy, such as running, jumping, and lifting heavy objects. You may because back disorders are tricky. For instance, which pages you go to most. Part of aging is disk deterioration; however, it does not cause pain in everyone. It is not enough for the examiners to simply say that a veterans DDD is due to natural progression and aging. VA Rating for Degenerative Disc Disease 10% to 100%, Common VA Secondary Conditions to Degenerative Disc Disease, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): VA Disability for Degenerative Disc Disease. Systemic DJD occurs when the Veteran gets a diagnosis of DJD in service (or within one year after release from active duty) when there is no record or evidence of trauma to the joint. . The spine consists of four primary regions from yourneck down to your buttocks and pelvic area . 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. When evaluating a spinal cord-related disability, the VA is required to take into account both anatomical damage and functional loss. Your symptoms can also get progressively worse over time. It takes a 100% rating from the VA to determine whether a veteran is completely incapable of working. Receive answers to more of your VA disability claim questions. It is a common VA disability claim for disability caused by a disabling disc disease. VA determines a disability rating based on the severity of symptoms, but anatomical damage and functional loss are also considered. The average VA rating for degenerative disc disease is 30%. Five bones fused into atriangular shape, form the sacrum. radiculopathy, myelopathy, urinary incontinence, frequency, mental health conditions, and so on are examples of secondary conditions and complications. VA Disability Rating for Neck Pain Criteria VA uses 38 CFR 4.71a, General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine to evaluate most neck pain conditions. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Many veterans with degenerative disc disease have been forced to live on the floor. Generally, some of the more common symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease include: To be eligible for a Degenerative Disc Disease VA rating, a veteran must meet three (3) criteria by law: If you think you have a back condition such as Degenerative Disc Disease, but dont have a medical diagnosis,pick-up the phone and call the VA mental health facility nearest youto make an appointment right away! We are proud to help you who have served to get the disability benefits you deserve. Degenerative disc disease refers to symptoms of back or neck pain caused by wear-and-tear on a spinal disc. 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. We should investigate worsening symptoms and secondary conditions that may have occurred as a result of the degeneration of the disc. These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. Secondary Service Connection for Herniated Discs The maximum disability rating for degenerative disc disease VA compensation is 20 percent without any additional . Since that requires you to show that you have no range of motion (i.e., you cannot move your back), it can be very difficult, and you have to show why your back condition severely limits you. Can I Get Disability With Degenerative Disc Disease The discs act as shock absorbers, absorbing the impact from the daily activities and movements of your body. If you are unable to work because of a disability, you may be able to get a Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) deferment. VA disability claims evidence can be direct or circumstantial, and include: A positive VA disability rating for a a bulging disc or a herniated disc is based on the extent of your symptoms, how impaired your range of motion is, prevalence of incapacitating episodes, and how all of this impacts your daily life.