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Things such as your spinal range of Incomplete but severe paralysis of the sciatic nerve may lead to a 60 percent disability rating. If any of your buddies are around to remember it or talk about it, get their input too. Already working with us? VA Benefits for Sciatica | Cuddigan Law Those suffering from sciatica will experience pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve which travels from the lower back down through the legs. Incomplete, moderate paralysis is rated 20%. Dont hide anything and be explicit and detailed about what hurts and what is numb. What is going to clarify those words is how paralysis affects your life. I suffer from many health issues due to the trauma that happened to me in 1980. Any sciatica condition that needs this is rated 100% during this specialized treatment. Do You Need Help Determining Your Nerve Ratings? Common symptoms include: Nerve issues, such as sciatica, are rated in three different categories based on the degree of severity of symptoms: Each of these three categories of nerve conditions also have sub-categories for mild, moderate, or severe symptoms, creating many different possible ratings for a condition that affects a nerve. Secondary VA Claim Radiculopathy is a very important "secondary VA claim." Learn how VA rates Veterans' nerve conditions and nerve damage (such as peripheral neuropathy, sciatica, radiculopathy, retinopathy) for disability benefits,. Secondary conditions develop as a result of an underlying condition or injury. The type of pain can vary from numbness, tingling or burning, and can also range in severity from mild to severe. When one is suffering from severe but Forever Grateful, [K.S.]. Radiculopathy in arms, buttocks or lower extremities can be secondary to several underlying physical conditions, such as: Because it is related to and accompanies numerous other back issues, radiculopathy is frequently claimed as a veterans disability that is secondary to other back conditions or back pain. If youre not sure if you qualify, were here to help. Youll tilt your head side to side and then you will turn your head to look around. They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. Often, Veterans' radiculopathy is a secondary. The latter is known asspinal stenosis. Often we have clients with 20% ratings for back disabilities who could qualify for higher ratings for their serious impairments. Once youve understood which category your condition falls into, determine the level of severity of the symptoms by looking at the loss of function it causes you. Lower back pinched nerves are the most common type and even have sub-classes of diagnoses. the causes of your sciatica. If you have been honorably discharged and have joint or back pain, you can probably get the minimum 10% rating for a disability. Back Pain VA Rating: A Guide to Spinal Injuries - Hill & Ponton, P.A. If they make you unable to work or conduct a normal life, tell them. However, in rare circumstances, veterans can experience bilateral sciatica. Camp Lejeune Lawsuit. paralysis is rated 60%. Therefore, neuralgia is generally the most common category that veterans fall into; however, it is possible that a veterans sciatica may present symptomatology consistent with a higher level of severity. There are several common symptoms of sciatica. To find out more, view our Privacy Policy. back problems that cause sciatica include spinal stenosis ordisc herniations, talk to our staff to write up a lay statement, Use our VA disability calculator to estimate your, sciatica may also be a secondary issue to other service-related conditions, Nervous System Conditions VA Disability Articles, Neurological issues VA disability articles, I have referred 16 veterans to this law firm, Pain, weakness, and numbness in the lower back, The highest level of pain when theyre sitting or standing, Difficulty standing up for long periods or walking for a long time, A worsened pain after sudden movements such as sneezing or coughing, An in-service situation or event that may have caused or contributed to your problem, A medical opinion linking the in-service situation or event to your sciatica condition (. Other key evidence may include a medical experts professional opinion that the service-connected condition (low back strain, for example) caused the radiculopathythus indicating a secondary service-connected disability. Perhaps you had no secondary conditions when you first filed your claim, but a condition showed up later. Please complete this form to send us your message. These diagnosed and service-connected disabilities can get you a higher rating. This is often the result of a herniated disk in the spine or an overgrowth of bone on the vertebrae. Cervical radiculopathy is when a veteran has a pinched nerve in their neck. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. In addition to secondary service connection, veterans may also be able to seek service connection through aggravation. Specifically, the veteran's radiculopathy affects the veteran's sciatic nerve. Symptoms of moderately severe, moderate, and mild sciatic neuritis can be given a range of ratings including 40, 20, and 10 percent. your nerves, will also be tested. When sciatica is serious and severe, it can make life extremely difficult and uncomfortable. is. level of pain either when they are sitting or standing, Sometime when one has Medical images like x-rays can also be useful. Sciatica ratings are usually based on whether the sciatica is mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe. If your back creaks or pops when you move it, you want the doctor to hear that. While the injury is in the back joints, the symptoms show up in your hands and feet. the body. The lower . The veteran has constant, severe pain in his lower back because of the radiculopathy affecting his ability to function on a daily basis. This includes both medical evidence and lay evidence. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). 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. These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Were you stationed at Camp Lejeune before 1987? Radiculopathy is caused by a pinched nerve root in either the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine. A herniated disc in this region can cause pain that radiates down one or both arms. 20%. If you think you may be suffering from sciatica, but youve never visited the doctor about it, pick up the phone and call the VA nearest to you to make an appointment. Fill out the short form below to contact us. Thoracic radiculopathy is going to be a lot scarier but wont affect you in the same way. The degree of severity, represented by a percentage, corresponds to the monthly compensation a vet receives. Increasingly, the examiners useDisability Benefits Questionnaires, which independent medical experts can also fill out. The Easiest Ratings for Joint/Back Pain are Also the Lowest, Back Conditions that Get a Higher VA Disability Compensation, Pinched Nerves in the Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Regions, The Lower Your Range of Motion the Higher Your Rating, How the VA Disability Rating for Radiculopathy Works. However, a few years after he was granted service connection, he was diagnosed with radiculopathy of his lower extremities due to his service-connected degenerative disc disease. . It can affect one side or the other, and be different levels on both sides. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick may be able to help you with the appeals process. These cookies are essential so that you can move around the website and use its features. When you visit web sites, they may store or retrieve data in your web browser. This communication with the firm or any member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and preferences such as text size, fonts and other customizable website elements. The moderate nerve rating changes based on the specific nerve. If you are suffering from neuritis, the highest You might be able to pay for some heating pads or some visits to the chiropractor/spa with that. This was to add SC and rating for my left leg. Measures of your extension, lateral flexion, and rotation all combine to measure your cervical flexion. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Whether you are filing a new claim or dealing with a denied claim, the highly experienced staff at Hill and Ponton is here to advise, support, and represent you. Under these characterizations, each nerve has its own disability rating for each level of severity. Radiculopathy is a great example of secondary service connection. All Rights Reserved. If your Sciatic nerve causes your foot to drop and impairs your walking and you cant lift your knee, you might get up to an 80% rating. Chicago, IL: 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Floors 8 and 9, Chicago, IL 60604 Veterans with severe sciatica may require the assistance of canes, wheelchairs, or other assistive devices to walk. For sciatica, for example, in radiculopathy of the lower back, the VA appliesrating criteriaspecific to the sciatic nerve (diagnostic code 8720), and assigns a disability percent rating on whether the neuralgia is moderate or mild. Back pain doesnt often travel alone. serious, your rating will only be 10%. 3,087 62. . It can be stiffness or even sharp pain. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. You may, for example, have developed radiculopathy that stems from a back strain or a back injury you suffered during military service. problem, but rather, an accurate way of describing the location of the pain. Back injuries and various musculoskeletal Top 6 Secondary Conditions to Lower Back Pain (The Insider's Guide) Discover exactly what sciatica is and whether yournerve ratingsallow you to claim benefits for your condition. This could result in a 20 percent disability rating. it is rated 20%. If it Neuritis of the sciatic nerve. Can My Disability Rating Be Reduced By The VA? Radiculopathy Disability for Veterans When the bones in your back lose their cushioning, they rub together and may pinch a nerve. Generally, VA measures severity by first determining if the veteran suffers from: However, symptoms often overlap, and evaluations of paralysis, neuritis, and neuralgia can be confusing and inconsistent. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 If the condition causes severe symptoms, it is Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to stay updated on VA news, policy changes, and more. New and relevant evidence can be used not only in filing a claim, but also to appeal a negative decision, or to reopen an old claim.