My Neck

[SLEDGE]

I finally got the MRI that the specialist wanted and it's bad.

The structure of my neck is really screwed up. Bulging, collapsing, slipped and slid, arthritis and curving the wrong way.

The effects on my body and daily life from the pinched nerves is getting pretty severe.

Do you think this is serious?

Should I let the VA go in?

How about a D.N.R.?

Could this be connected to my lower back which I injured while in the service?

Any comments?

sledge

[Guest jstacy]

Recovery time is 6 to 8 weeks for Normal procedure, However, your procedure will be abnormal. 6 grafts is serious business. You will be in a cervical collar for a long time. The Doc will not let you drive for at least a month if not longer. It will take some time to heal but you may feel better. Be extremely careful not to Jar your neck. Your neck will hurt if you hit a bump in the road. Your Cervical spine will be totally fused because the grafts will be replacing the disks. I have attached the rating schedule for the spine.

The Spine

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Rating

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General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine

(For diagnostic codes 5235 to 5243 unless 5243 is evaluated

under the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based

on Incapacitating Episodes):

With or without symptoms such as pain (whther or not it

radiates), stiffness, or aching in the area of the spine

affected by residuals of injury or disease

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine............... 100

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. 50

Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or, 40

forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees

or less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire

thoracolumbar spine....................................

Forward flexion of the cervical spine 15 degrees or 30

less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical

spine..................................................

Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 20

30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees; or, forward

flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees

but not greater than 30 degrees; or, the combined range

of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than

120 degrees; or, the combined range of motion of the

cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees; or, muscle

spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an

abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as

scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or abnormal kyphosis.....

Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 10

60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees; or, forward

flexion of the cervical spine greater than 30 degrees

but not greater than 40 degrees; or, combined range of

motion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 120

degrees but not greater than 235 degrees; or, combined

range of motion of the cervical spine greater than 170

degrees but not greater than 335 degrees; or, muscle

spasm, guarding, or localized tenderness not resulting

in abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour; or,

vertebral body fracture with loss of 50 percent or more

of the height..........................................

Note (1): Evaluate any associated objective neurologic

abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder

impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.

Note (2): (See also Plate V.) For VA compensation purposes,

normal forward flexion of the cervical spine is zero to 45

degrees, extension is zero to 45 degrees, left and right

lateral flexion are zero to 45 degrees, and left and right

lateral rotation are zero to 80 degrees. Normal forward flexion

of the thoracolumbar spine is zero to 90 degrees, extension is

zero to 30 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to

30 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 30

degrees. The combined range of motion refers to the sum of the

range of forward flexion, extension, left and right lateral

flexion, and left and right rotation. The normal combined range

of motion of the cervical spine is 340 degrees and of the

thoracolumbar spine is 240 degrees.The normal ranges of motion

for each component of spinal motion provided in this note are

the maximum that can be used for calculation of the combined

range of motion.

Note (3): In exceptional cases, an examiner may state that

because of age, body habitus, neurologic disease, or other

factors not the result of disease or injury of the spine, the

range of motion of the spine in a particular individual should

be considered normal for that individual, even though it does

not conform to the normal range of motion stated in Note (2).

Provided that the examiner supplies an explanation, the

examiner's assessment that the range of motion is normal for

that individual will be accepted.

Note (4): Round each range of motion measurement to the nearest

five degrees.

Note (5): For VA compensation purposes, unfavorable ankylosis is

a condition in which the entire cervical spine, the entire

thoracolumbar spine, or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or

extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the

following: difficulty walking because of a limited line of

vision; restricted opening of the mouth and chewing; breathing

limited to diaphragmatic respiration; gastrointestinal symptoms

due to pressure of the costal margin on the abdomen; dyspnea or

dysphagia; atlantoaxial or cervical subluxation or dislocation;

or neurologic symptoms due to nerve root stretching. Fixation

of a spinal segment in neutral position (zero degrees) always

represents favorable ankylosis.

Note (6): Separately evaluate disability of the thoracolumbar

and cervical spine segments, except when there is unfavorable

ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single

disability.

5235 Vertebral fracture or dislocation

5236 Sacroiliac injury and weakness

5237 Lumbosacral or cervical strain

5238 Spinal stenosis

5239 Spondylolisthesis or segmental instability

5240 Ankylosing spondylitis

5241 Spinal fusion

5242 Degenerative arthritis of the spine (see also diagnostic

code 5003)