lumbosacral Changing My Classification From Lumbosacral Strain To Ivds

[mikep23661]

I was told that I should file a claim changing my classification from Lumbosacral strain to IVDS by one of the poster on the site. My questions are how should I go about doing that and will that hurt my "secondary issues" associated with lumbosacral strain? Thanks to all who help out.

[Vync]

Berta and Cowgirl are right about the value of an IMO. Before I knew anything about how the system worked, I did manage to appeal to the board and get new C&P exams. It took years, but the VA granted my four SC conditions. Somehow, I succeeded without an IMO. With QTC around, it probably is a whole lot tougher than it used to be.

I use the VA doctors for a lot of my medical treatment, which sometimes upsets my girlfriend. One of the first things you need to do is get your primary care doc changed to a permanent staff physician. You don't want residents working on you! If you do, then you might be asking for trouble.

I hope you have better luck than me in getting your back problem SC. Next month, I hope to be able to get my IMO, then it's all hurry up and wait...

[mikep23661]

Berta and Cowgirl are right about the value of an IMO. Before I knew anything about how the system worked, I did manage to appeal to the board and get new C&P exams. It took years, but the VA granted my four SC conditions. Somehow, I succeeded without an IMO. With QTC around, it probably is a whole lot tougher than it used to be.

I use the VA doctors for a lot of my medical treatment, which sometimes upsets my girlfriend. One of the first things you need to do is get your primary care doc changed to a permanent staff physician. You don't want residents working on you! If you do, then you might be asking for trouble.

I hope you have better luck than me in getting your back problem SC. Next month, I hope to be able to get my IMO, then it's all hurry up and wait...

To Berta and Cowgirl: Thank you once again for the knowledge that you have bestowed upon me. I will be the first to admit that this all sounds so menacing.

To Vync: Thank you as well. To uncloud confusion I may have made, my lumbosacral strain has already been deemed service-connected, however, I feel as if they are treating it as something more minor than what my body feels. Im only 31 years old, but feel as if I am older with the pain I deal with. I wished that I had more knowledge about this stuff. The older I get, the more i worry about how my condition is going to affect me in the future an I am deathly afraid to allow anyone to dig into my back.

[Vync]

Mike,

I totally know how you feel. I had about 9 or 10 'lumbar strains' and other back injuriwes when I was in the Army for about five years. When I got out, I was about 24 years old. Just 19 months after I got out, my first C&P examiner opined that I had 'degenerative joint disease of minimal degree' in my back, but I did not meet the requirements for SC. 7 years later, two discs in my back herniated and my DDD became painfully obvious, especially on an MRI. I'm biding my time with epidural pain blocks (from a great private anesthesiologist), a TENS unit, occasional physical therapy, and pain meds/muscle relaxers. My upcoming IMO hopefully will remove the stupidity shown by my previous VA claim denials.

You might consider seeing a good physical therapist so that they can give you special exercises and stretching which will take the stress off of your back. They can also re-train you how to do common tasks, so that they do not aggravate your back. PT actually helped me, but after my sessions ran out, my problems came back, but not as quickly.

Also, there are a lot of news articles that allude to spine surgery frequently being unnecessary because your back may eventually fusing the vertebrae together by itself. Personally, I don't like the pain at all. I hope I never have to go under the knife.

Hope this helps!

[carlie]

I was told that I should file a claim changing my classification from Lumbosacral strain to IVDS by one of the poster on the site. My questions are how should I go about doing that and will that hurt my "secondary issues" associated with lumbosacral strain? Thanks to all who help out.

mikep,

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-...7.2&idno=38

§ 4.2 Interpretation of examination reports.

Different examiners, at different times, will not describe the same disability in the same language.

Features of the disability which must have persisted unchanged may be overlooked or a change for the better or worse may not be accurately appreciated or described.

It is the responsibility of the rating specialist to interpret reports of examination in the light of the whole recorded history, reconciling the various reports into a consistent picture so that the current rating may accurately reflect the elements of disability present.

Each disability must be considered from the point of view of the veteran working or seeking work.

If a diagnosis is not supported by the findings on the examination report or if the report does not contain sufficient detail, it is incumbent upon the rating board to return the report as inadequate for evaluation purposes.

[41 FR 11292, Mar. 18, 1976]

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-...7.8&idno=38

§ 4.13 Effect of change of diagnosis.

The repercussion upon a current rating of service connection when change is made of a previously assigned diagnosis or etiology must be kept in mind.

The aim should be the reconciliation and continuance of the diagnosis or etiology upon which service connection for the disability had been granted.

The relevant principle enunciated in §4.125, entitled “Diagnosis of mental disorders,” should have careful attention in this connection.

When any change in evaluation is to be made, the rating agency should assure itself that there has been an actual change in the conditions, for better or worse, and not merely a difference in thoroughness of the examination or in use of descriptive terms.

This will not, of course, preclude the correction of erroneous ratings, nor will it preclude assignment of a rating in conformity with §4.7.

[29 FR 6718, May 22, 1964, as amended at 61 FR 52700, Oct. 8, 1996]