Lumbar Spondylosis And Gait

[3 years to retire]

Hello again.

I have requested a claim on my lower back/buttock pain due to my service connected left knee and the gait that it causes. I went to a private Dr. ( a spine specialist) and he wrote in his opinion that my buttock pain was due to my limp (gait). In my opinion my gait is due to my left knee which is service connected.

Went to the C & P.

The Va Doctor assessment was:

1- mild lumbar spondylosis 2- Anterior cruciate ligament deficient left knee 3- medial collateral ligament deficient left knee.

The C&P shows that I do have lower back problems, I think that is a good thing.

(note: the lumbar spondylosis(LS) has never been officially diagnosis by the Va before now.)

Here is a possible problem with my claim, I did some research on lumbar spondylosis on google and it said that Lumbar Spondylosis __CAN__ cause Gait. Now to get my buttock pain (lower back) approve it has to tie into my left knee which is service connected (SC), and I feel that I have it tied in by my private Dr. medical opinion. So now the Va C&P has stated my lower back/buttock pain is lumbar spondylosis, and this could be the seen as the opposite of what my private Dr. opinion, and my claim is, by the VA.

Is it possible that the Va recognizes that I have lower back pain but does not have to rate it since it is not connected to my service connected left knee. Because (they can claim) the Lumbar Spondylosis causes the Gait and not my left knee.

Am I reading too much into this?

It would seem that my left knee is obviously the reason for my gait. Anyone experience this issue before?

Any comments would help.

Thanks

Edited July 10, 2009 by 3 years to retire

[john999]

Lumbar spondylosis is probably caused by arthritus in your spine (DDD), but I am no expert. The knee problem probably aggravates it, and vice versa. I have the same kind of pain in my back and I was diagosed with spondylosis. Does it hurt in the morning when you first get up and when you sit for long periods. Mine does, and I have SC problems with my feet. My foot problems came first and then the back started to hurt. You probably don't have numbness running down your leg unless a disc is really going bad and pushing on the spinal cord. If they tell you that you need a spinal fusion think about that for a long time.

[3 years to retire]

Lumbar spondylosis is probably caused by arthritus in your spine (DDD), but I am no expert. The knee problem probably aggravates it, and vice versa. I have the same kind of pain in my back and I was diagosed with spondylosis. Does it hurt in the morning when you first get up and when you sit for long periods. Mine does, and I have SC problems with my feet. My foot problems came first and then the back started to hurt. You probably don't have numbness running down your leg unless a disc is really going bad and pushing on the spinal cord. If they tell you that you need a spinal fusion think about that for a long time.

John999

Thanks for your information. Yes it is hard to get up in the morning and after sitting for periods. Also, I have trouble sleeping with it. My knee and limp came before the lower back pain. That might help to show that the gait is cause of the back pain, not lumbar spondylosis cause of gait.

sidenote: john have u posted on postalmag forum (IOD)? Think we have crossed path there.

[Berta]

If the private medical opinion makes these points as clear as you did, then they should service connect this-but "gait" is vague-

"It would seem that my left knee is obviously the reason for my gait." and that the altered gait is cause of your other back and buttcok problems.

Altered gait affects balance and can cause favoring of one knee over another-causing even more problems sometimes in

a non service connected knee.

This is the way the doc has to connect the dots.

Did the C & P doctor make any 'as likely or not" statement that the claimed disability is due to or secondary to the SC one?

[john999]

3 Years

Yes, I have posted on Postalmag forum. Do you still have three years to retire from that hell hole the USPS?

[3 years to retire]

Hello John

I left the post office last Feb. It has been nice to sit at home and catch up on my sleep. I go to postal mag every once in a while to see what is going on. Glad I made it out. Now I am just trying to heal up as much as possible.

Thanks Ms. Berta for your help. I will find out in a month or two, I guess, of the Va decision.

[babyray]

Hello again.

I have requested a claim on my lower back/buttock pain due to my service connected left knee and the gait that it causes. I went to a private Dr. ( a spine specialist) and he wrote in his opinion that my buttock pain was due to my limp (gait). In my opinion my gait is due to my left knee which is service connected.

Went to the C & P.

The Va Doctor assessment was:

1- mild lumbar spondylosis 2- Anterior cruciate ligament deficient left knee 3- medial collateral ligament deficient left knee.

The C&P shows that I do have lower back problems, I think that is a good thing.

(note: the lumbar spondylosis(LS) has never been officially diagnosis by the Va before now.)

Here is a possible problem with my claim, I did some research on lumbar spondylosis on google and it said that Lumbar Spondylosis __CAN__ cause Gait. Now to get my buttock pain (lower back) approve it has to tie into my left knee which is service connected (SC), and I feel that I have it tied in by my private Dr. medical opinion. So now the Va C&P has stated my lower back/buttock pain is lumbar spondylosis, and this could be the seen as the opposite of what my private Dr. opinion, and my claim is, by the VA.

Is it possible that the Va recognizes that I have lower back pain but does not have to rate it since it is not connected to my service connected left knee. Because (they can claim) the Lumbar Spondylosis causes the Gait and not my left knee.

Am I reading too much into this?

It would seem that my left knee is obviously the reason for my gait. Anyone experience this issue before?

Any comments would help.

Thanks

I was granted SC'ed of early degenerative joint disease of the left knee & calicified left quadriceps muscle in 10/07. That caused an abnormal gait which caused abnormal forces across my left hip & lumbar spine, thus causing advance DJD in these joints.

Having said that, I filed a claim for SC'tion for DDD & spondylolistheis, lumbar spine as secondary to the service-connected of early DDD of the left knee & calcified left quadriceps muscle.

Guess what, I was granted this on 2/09. I am now getting 50%. Go for it. Get a good IMO from a private doc & filed your claim. Good luck. Chow!!!!!