[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

thinking about the epidurals legs are going numb this is from my failed back surgery....just waiting to see what my claim will be...been dealing with the pain for a long time but been getting low balled with a 20% rating for yrs

3rd claim on back

I would sure try the epidurals before surgery unless your legs are going numb. There are so many failed back surgeries that there is a DX called "Failed Back Surgery Syndrome". I have had three surgeries on my shoulder, wrist and foot and all failed and I am worse off now. These things are money makers for doctors where just pills and exercise make them no dough.

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

no my claim is postoperative residuals of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, to include spinal stenosis, bilateral hypertrophy,

also djd of the knee included that in the claim not to worried about the knees just the back

ocreswell

I might of missed it, are you claiming your back as a secondary injury?

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

i think you should.... I wonder how people be getting these 160% e

I have mulitiple problems in my back along with a lot of other vets. On my claim I asked for compensation detailing all separately. The C&P just rated me on ROM but they gave my 100 % so I haven't been too concerned about them not mentioning all my conditions. I don't know if I should be.

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

j no they didnt... heres the kicker on SSD because of back problems from the military still wont give me nothing but 20% but hope this time they will had a OTC exam told them im on SSD they told me the other conditions will be secondary thanks

Did they give you IU for the back? Are you service connected for other issues to add to 100 percent.

J

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

have been offered surgery and epidurals havent decided yet but if anyone can weigh in on this.. if you have spinal stenosis DDD DJD hypert,etc are you suppose to file a claim for each one separately? for L3 -L4 L4-L5 L5- S1 in the past they are rating as post operative residuals of degeneratve disc disease of the lumbar spine because i had surgery need another one....kept getting denied for Increase for yrs with just 20%,,,,condition has now gotten severe with the spinal stenosis DDD DJD and other problems of the back.....even with all this happening i think they only use the rating for invertabral disc syndrome which is the doctor prescribe bed rest ....i just filed a claim the new benefit sough is postoperative residuals of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine to include spinal stenosis, bilateral facet hypertrophy and bilateral high grade neural forminal stenosis at L5 -S1 been 7 months what a long wait they even told me that on the 1-800 # but since I left out the other levels i wonder will they include them??? I think thats were Im messing up,,, can you believe i Just out the blue ask my VS rep this could I do this and he said yes after all this time I now learned that you need to get good repesentation because fighting this thing alone is hard......

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

you know your right just opened my eyes up... but got 1 good thing, just got 1 week of perscribe bed rest

If you ever figure it out, I'd sure like to know too. It almost seems like no matter what issues you have with the spine, the only basis for a rating is simply Range of Motion. Arthritis, DDD, stenosis, spondyolisthesis, fractures, any and all conditions seem to be meaningless. I have tried my best to find out why this is the case, but I give up.

One would think that a diagnosis of stenosis would get you rated for the nerve group affected. The only thing that will do that, though, to the best of my knowledge, is proof by EMG/NCV that there is disability. Being that stenosis is usually on again/off again depending on the position of the spinal cord, inflammation, etc., I don't believe a nerve conduction study can measure it accurately or fairly.

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

yes been offered surgery and epidoral shots still deciding have a claim pending

Severe spinal stenosis is rates as IVDS. It is a max of 60 percent based on incapicitating episodes or bed rest for a period of time over a period of time.

title 38 cfr 4.71a ( I believe)

The kicker is that the effected nerves should be rated separate. Also bear in mind that the location of the stenosis can be life threatning such as areas in the neck like C3. It controls the diaphragm.

If it is the t or L spine then other problems arise like Sciatica.

Have you been offered surgury?

J

[How Do You Rate Severe Spinal Stenosis]

dont understand the code but have severe spinal stenosis how do they rate that

[Back Pay]

I am assuming here that at no time did you have to re -open the foot claim since 2005.

A re -open will generate date of the re- opened claim in most cases for the EED.

first Berta let me thank you!!!! your an angel hope i didnt offend you... but sitting here almost crying your the first person to give me some real hope. the case is at the DRO for the foot condition for a complete review there combining all my condition into 1 and giving me a 10% rating for ples planus,hallax vagus, chronic tibial sesmosities, since June. I added an amendment an ask them to include EED for 2005 as for as a VA Rep he told me Im not going to say they will or they wont.... this is the kind of answers that I have been getting from him for yrs... I wish I had someone else to help me, been doing it on my own... reopened the back claim sending in info with ss# independent Doctor notes which is helping me matter of fact just had a doctor to assign bed rest nothing is impossible.....Got all the help from reading stories from this Website Thanks Again.....

[Do You Have To Be Treated By A Va Doctor]

if amyone can help. I notice that every time i look back in my recordsand sumitted claims for lower back condition for back the va doctor has never put anything to help you with your claim. I have a lower back condition 3 bad disc spinal stenosis and to many to list . My private doctor neurosurgeon has recommend surgery fusion and put in paper work its from my post operative surgery, which i received at the va that im having problems with instability. I submitted my new claim also went back to va doctor this happen 4 months ago and now in the past 2 weeks va has sent me letters telling me its time for a follow up appoitment. In the past I have called couldnt get an appoitment sometimes 4 months to see a doctor it looks fishey to me. I have other ways of paying for my private doctor Do you have to be treated by a VA doctor scared if I go their it will hurt my claim just had a c&p exam an I think it went good.

[Back Pay]

thanks Berta let me clarify the back condition was denied in 2009 with the BVA.. I let the 1yr mark past for that. I opened a new claim which is pending with new findings spinal stenosis, DDD, DJD, and more only have 20% for that. Now the foot disability I filled in 2005 they said my claim is at the BVA . Which was there for 3yrs waiting on the back decision. They picked my claim back up in 2009 after it returned from the VA they granted me 10 percent increase for foot and only paid me 1 yr back pay for 2008 thats when they say they got the claim . jUST HAPPEN to look at the letter and said we may be able to pay you from the dated we recieved your claim which was in March of 2009 l let the 1yr mark pass for that. That was my question can they do that and it made me feel as if i had to prove to them that I filled a claim in 2005. But the foot condition is at the DRO for review hopefully enough evidence to up my 10% thats why i ask will they see that mistake was made?

[Back Pay]

if anyone can help my question is i applieded for an increase for service connected foot disability in 2005 and had another case pending at the BVA for 3 yrs for another condition ,it came back with a denial in 2009. The foot condition was awarded in 2009 with a 10% increase they only paid for 1 yr back pay. I just looked at that letter it said we may be able to pay you from the date we received your claim etc, the time has past the 1yr mark . I messed that up myself but can they do that? Its funny i have to prove to them i filled a claim in 2005. Also I have a DRO review with the case will the dro award me the back pay or am im out?

[Questions About Back Pay]

sorry please forgive

ocreswell,

Welcome to Hadit.com .

Please re-post your questions as a new topic you start

in a Forum of your choice.

If you put your questions in the middle of another members questions

then their questions usually get obliterated.

[Questions About Back Pay]

if anyone can help my question is i applieded for an increase for service connected foot disability in 2005 and had another case pending at the BVA for 3 yrs for another condition ,it came back with a denial in 2009. The foot condition was awarded in 2009 with a 10% increase they only paid for 1 yr back pay. I just looked at that letter it said we may be able to pay you from the date we received your claim etc, the time has past the 1yr mark . I messed that up myself but can they do tha? Its funny i have to prove to them i filled a claim in 2005. Also I have a DRO review with the case will the dro award me the back pay or am im out?