TexasVeteran

I'll have to disagree here sir. People with AS or IBS both typically have the HLA-B27 marker. And those with AS are more likely to develop IBS (5-10 percent of people with AS develop IBS according to Joel Taurog, MD from a 2013 EverydayHealth article). Your AS should be the primary and IBS secondary. If you have pain in your back, neck, hips, and/or knees, you will need to be rated for for those separately. You will need to get an Independent Medical Opinion and Nexus letter completed by someone like Dr. Ellis out of Oklahoma City (Ellis Clinic). Stating his opinion of the nexus between your AS and military service and the connection between your AS and IBS. It's probably not unreasonable to say that it is "more likely than not" your IBS is due to or made worse by your serviced connected AS condition. Dr. Ellis would be your very last stop and you should have a complete case file before going with medical records (military, va, and private), diagnosis letters, buddy letters (multiple, from family, friends, and co-workers), work absentee letters, appeals cases close your case, and any medical journal articles which support your claim and connection from AS to IBS. Having all of that should be a rock solid case. Before you go to your C&P exam, be sure to download the DBQ's they will be using to evaluate you. Those are no longer available on the VA's website, but are archived here: https://helpdesk.vetsfirst.org/index.php?pg=kb.page&id=3300 (google: "vetsfirst DBQ 3.1"). Be prepared for all the questions they could ask from that form and understand how you will be rated by researching each condition's rating criteria, simple google search on that. https://www.everydayhealth.com/ankylosing-spondylitis/inflammatory-bowel-disease-and-ankylosing-spondylitis.aspx

Has anyone ever heard of any of these three codes being given separate ratings? I realize these are all rated by the range of motion, with the only exception being IDS, which can be rated by how many times you are placed on bed rest (incapacitating episodes). I'm getting a lot of conflicting information about this, as some people seem to think there are special circumstances which the VA will separate at least some of these out. But, no one can explain what those circumstances would be. 1. thoracolumbar strain (5237) http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/thespine.html 2. intervertebral disc syndrome (5243) 3. ankylosing spondylitis (5243) 4. degenerative arthritis (5003) http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/diseasesofthemusculoskeletalsystem.html#a ^^ This is in my spine but obviously not enough to be coded 5242, degenerative arthritis of the spine

The bilateral thing has to be what is causing it to hit 90% (on my old rating). I left the military on Jan 3, 2016, so I never needed back pay as it has always been 90%. I just could not figure out how they came to that number... nor could the VA help desk. I have seen where some people have said their back conditions were separated out (thoracolumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome) ... is this possible to your knowledge?

Thank you for the reply. My rating sheet has always said 90%... this is what is confusing. I should not have been at 90% up until this claim was processes, if we add everything together... right? I have to be missing something, and when I call the VA they aren't able to tell me.

I left active duty in Jan 2016, my initial rating came back at 90%, but as I added everything together on the VA disability calculator (https://www.va.gov/disability/about-disability-ratings/) I was only getting to 80%. Thus, after asking around it would appear the three back problems which are separately coded are actually three separate 20% ratings, which push me to the 90% mark... now making sense (see ebenefits snap from 2019 below). Old Rating (before submitting this new claim): << (Equals 80%? not sure anymore) 10% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 10% painful scar, surgical, status post left inguinal hernia repair 50% obstructive sleep apnea (also claimed as non-organic sleep disorder/breathing related sleep disorder) 20% thoracolumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome > 10% lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve (also claimed as neuritis) 20% cervical strain (claimed as neck pain) 30% pes cavus (claimed as cogenital foot deformity, talipes cavus) --- Last year I found out that I have Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) so I submitted a fully developed claim with independent medical experts showing the connection to the military. This has gotten much worse over time, so I also submitted for an increase on all back disabilities rated under the range of motion formula. I got back the results in record time (within a month!). They did some kind of funkiness I don't understand though. In the decision letter, they don't actually acknowledge accepting my claim for AS, they say this: - Evaluation of ankylosing spondylitis (previously rates as thoracoumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome), which is currently 20 percent disabling, is increased to 40 percent effective January 9, 2020. - Evaluation of cervical strain (claimed as neck pain), which is currently 20 percent disabling, is increased to 30 percent effective January 9, 2020 Your combined rating evaluation is: 90% Effective Date: Jan 4, 2016 90% Effective Date: Jan 9, 2019 ---- Old Rating (after submitting this new claim): <<(Equals 80% on the calculator, but they are saying 90%?!?) 10% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 10% painful scar, surgical, status post left inguinal hernia repair 50% obstructive sleep apnea (also claimed as non-organic sleep disorder/breathing related sleep disorder) 20% ankylosing spondylitis (previously rated as thoracolumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome) > 10% lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve (also claimed as neuritis) 20% cervical strain (claimed as neck pain) 30% pes cavus (claimed as cogenital foot deformity, talipes cavus) New Rating (after submitting this new claim): <<(Equals 90% on the calculator) 10% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 10% painful scar, surgical, status post left inguinal hernia repair 50% obstructive sleep apnea (also claimed as non-organic sleep disorder/breathing related sleep disorder) 40% ankylosing spondylitis (previously rated as thoracolumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome) > 10% lumbar radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve (also claimed as neuritis) 30% cervical strain (claimed as neck pain) 30% pes cavus (claimed as cogenital foot deformity, talipes cavus) - - - So my question for the community is, what am I missing here? I am totally confused and cannot at all figure this out. Did they just screw me over? I should be at 100% now if all four back codes (ankylosing spondylitis, thoracolumbar strain, degenerative arthritis, and intervertebral disc syndrome) are at 40% each. So if that is not actually the case, how did the VA calculate me at 90% for the past four years?