16thGLO

I am retired and don't work any longer. The fingers/wrists would slow my ability to do administrative office work, which is the last type of employment I had.

Its not just chronic pain, most of the finger joints have restricted movement and one finger joint has been replaced. I was and am attempting to show that this arthritis existed in service and manifested itself to a degree in the first year out of service that would have been compensable. And, by showing all appointments where this was addressed from just a few months out of service to present that it is an ongoing issue.

As an after thought on my previous post. Since the hand and finger arthritis pain was not addressed in the rating decision, does that mean that I would be filing a new disability claim or should I be doing a notice of disagreement with the current decision, even thought its not addressed. I would appreciate any advice on which way to go.

I got my disability decision in October 2018 after filing in June 2018. I had filed a claim for "hand/finger degenerative arthritis with wrist pain. The decision granted service connection for both right and left wrist as osteoarthritis secondary to my service connected bilateral carpal tunnel. The decision said nothing about my fingers and hands. I requested a copy of the C&P exam in October and finally received it March 7th, 2019. The initial doctor at the exam granted service connection for both my hands , fingers and wrists etc as at least as likely as not service connected. In the documents another doctor ,a few months later looked at the case to give an IMO and told the first doctor that some of the medical appointments in question were post military service and to explain his findings. (the irony here is that yes they are as I was showing a history of chronic arthritis from release of active service to present) (this included a C&P exam completed in December 2005, 8 months after release from active military with x-ray evidence of bilateral hand osteoarthritis) I had finger pain since leaving active service and went to both "Va and civilian doctors. Within a couple of years of military service I had bilateral carpal tunnel surgery that was deemed service connected. Although the surgery did improve my carpal tunnel symptoms, I still had pain in my fingers. Anyway to continue the results of the exam the second doctor agreed with the first doctor that all was at least as likely as not service connected. And finally a third doctor, physician assistant gave another IMO stating that the pain I was having was related to my fingers and hand and therefore not related to an extension of the carpal tunnel surgery. There fore only the wrist pain was deemed service connected and 10% per wrist was granted. It seems apparent that the doctors did not read any of the information that I sent in regards to laying down a road map for them to show chronic pain from 2005 to present. The 2005 C&P exam with radiological evidence showing osteoarthritis in both hands and fingers 8 months after military service should be a big sign. In any event I am going to fight this but I thought I would let others know so maybe I could hear from them some words of wisdom.

Thank you for the input. I did include copies from the older C&P exam (2005) in my new claim (2018). All this was new to me at the time and I did not realize what the document was saying. Also the exam involved multiple parts of the body.

Had my C&P exam for bilateral degenerative hand arthritis with limitation of motion on June 14. Background: service connected for bilateral carpal tunnel post surgery (surgeries 2006, 2007). I had the common symptoms of carpal tunnel prior to surgery with additional pain in multiple fingers to include the pinky finger. After carpal tunnel surgery, most of the pain was relieved, however, I still hand intermittent pain in various fingers to include the pinky, both hands. This went on for 13 years or so with continuous complaints(well documented) of pain to both VA and civilian doctors. By now I had multiple fingers that were stiff and limited in motion and had one finger joint replaced. When gathering documents for my disability claim, I came across the C&P exam from December 2005, 7 months after leaving active duty. which states on both the radiological report and the doctors findings that there was osteoarthritic changes involving PIP and DIP joints right hand 4 fingers (spurs and narrowing of the joints) and on the thumb as well as moderate osteoarthritic changes (spurs and narrowing of the joints) to the 4 fingers of the left hand. Am I right in thinking this previous C&P exam 7 months after active duty really helps my case or does it not help at all? I appreciate any input.