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Question About Ddd In My Lower Back.

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sawgunner

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jbasser Grand Master

jbasser

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The ratings are based on your range of motion and Neurological findings.

J

A Veteran is a person who served this country. Treat them with respect.

A Disabled Veteran is a person who served this country and bears the scars of that service regardless of when or where they served.

Treat them with the upmost respect. I do. Rejection is not a sign of failure. Failure is not an option, Medical opinions and evidence wins claims. Trust in others is a virtue but you take the T out of Trust and you are left with Rust so be wise about who you are dealing with.

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mags1023 Proficient

mags1023

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s/ Mags

We kept our promise and served honorably. Now it is time for the VA to keep their's!

I am not an attorney or VSO and offer my opinions free of charge. Any advice I provide in my posts is from experiences I have had with the VA or I have the knowledge that others have encoutered. I accept no liability for this advice should you chose to follow it.

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oldman273 Proficient

oldman273

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If my civi doctor orders me to not lift anything in excess of 25 lbs,but I have ot had surgery, what kind of ratiing can I expect on my back?

Hey There I am doing the same as you but I applied to have my back rated for an increase since it had gotten worse. I think the correct diagnosis is IVDS but I will leave that to my Doctors since I cannot diagnosis things I can only match up what is going on in my back. From what I have read "Not Being a Doctor so it has no bearing other than I have the same issue here it goes: You start out with a generalized ratting for DDD if you had an injury to your back was service connected that is. With DDD it is degnerative in nature. It progresses with or without surgery and to my knowledge it goes on to a 20% rating. What my back has done to me is that I have L5 S-1 herniated with the two disc above that one pushing or bulging out and I have some nerve damage also shown by MRI and some sciatica down both my legs and my feet burn all the time.

ROM is the gold standard for rating purposes. If you have a chance check out the spine repository it is awesome. I would suggest use the civillian Doc and try to get all of your records and prepare a list of the condition of your back and how it has progressed. I had a member of the board suggest this and I am working on that myself. Just a thought. I can tell you what has helped me is of course loosing weight and doing what the doctors say. I can also tell you that your back is like a deck of cards once you have trouble at the bottom the whole house can fall so please take notice of what kind of things are going on . I have some numbness in my hands I am afraid that I have some activity in my upper back so I say stay sharp and do not be afraid to tel them all of the things going on. I wish you well and these people on the board will help you. Just stay cool and remember the VA will not give you nothing you have to get your ducks in a row much like life. Have a good day

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vmo Rising Star

vmo

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The VARO loves to low ball vets on their spine ratings. You will probably get 100% for a short period time, then 10-20% there after. **Also, be aware of the "bedrest" requirement they use for IVDS, which is bull. I've have yet to see a physician prescribe it. The Dr. will want you up and about. Some Drs. recommend physical therapy and many just recommend walk, walk, walk. Bedrest is just not a common prescription for recovery----and I believe the VA knew that, the rating code sucks because of that requirement. The older rating criteria was much more fair and accurate.

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sawgunner Collaborator

sawgunner

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http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27475

Above is a link to my first thread....

I have been able to locate my physical therapy records from Ft. Eustis late last year which was about my hip mostly but made a note about my hips being offset and one leg being longer than the other... It also made note of scoliosis in my spine... Thats not what I have.. I have DDD.

I have just last week been able to obtain a list of meds to include pain and anti-inflammatory meds, that I recived in 1998 at Ft. Loeon Wood when the injury first occurred.

I was able to get the NP to wirte a letter statingthem my current hip and back condition are at least as likely as not to have been casused by my military service.. I am going to a civi physical therapist this month, whom I will also try to get a letter from. I am also going back to the doctor who first diagnosed me with DDD.

Thanks for all the info and advice guys.

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