cervical strain Cervical Issues

[2vetsin1home]

in 2007 I was awarded 10% for a cervical strain, 10% for shoulder strain and 10% for DDD. I had a flare up of issues although I have always hurt. I have a copy of all my PT while I was in from 2001-2005 and I was seeing a VA PT for 2 months, doing traction and stretches. One day I woke up and I was in sever pain a few days later I couldn't feel my R arm or pinky and ring finger. So I went to the VA ER , since it is service connected. BIG MISTAKE! I had an MRI done and they said I had nothing wrong with me, in the ER paperwork he stated I had pain whil unrinating, never even talked about urinating and didn't have any pain when I did pee.. So I got the next day and get a copy of my MRI because I know something is wrong. I get it as well as the MRI report. It says I have bulging at C-7/t-1 so I make an appointment with a orth sport medicine doc to see if he can see something. He puts me on lyrica while I await an MRI of my brachial Plexus. I do that and everything looks ok but I am still in pain going on 8 years with severe pain going on about 5 months now. He can't do anything for me since I have done it all, all anti-inflammatory, pain meds, chiropractor, massage, you name it I have done it. So he sent me to the spine hospital and I went yesterday and he told me I had an annular tear at C5, which no one has ever said anythign about and it is causing the problem. He said I have most likely had it all this time and it has not healed on its own and I may need surgery, we did an epidural injection yesterday and I am dying today and my arms were numb all last night.

My question is should I file for an increase on the claims I already have or file for a new issue and how do I even go about doing that?

[2vetsin1home]

You stated:

"He can't do anything for me since I have done it all, all anti-inflammatory, pain meds, chiropractor, massage, you name it I have done it. So he sent me to the spine hospital and I went yesterday and he told me I had an annular tear at C5, which no one has ever said anythign about and it is causing the problem. He said I have most likely had it all this time and it has not healed on its own and I may need surgery, we did an epidural injection yesterday and I am dying today and my arms were numb all last night. "

I would suggest that you read over the Section 1151 info in our FTCA forum and if you can determine that VA should have picked up on the annular tear sooner and their lack of diagnosis and treatment for it has directly caused you additional problems,

then you could file Section 1151 claim in addition to the claim for increase.

"He said I have most likely had it all this time"

Did he determine this via an MRI?

The VA first did an x-ray and said all was good and put me on pain pills and anti-inflammatory meds. Then I started physical therapy and then one day after physical therapy I couldn't feel my right arm, so I went to the VA ER where they gave me the MRI. Report doens't state anything about a tear and they sent me on my way with more narcotics and anti-inflammtory meds. I went to the Ortho doc and he said there is some bulging and he thinks I have a pinched nerve, which is why I got the MRI of my brachial plexus. Nothing was seen on it either. So I get to the Spine Hospital and he tells me what is wrong with me. He never stated whether he saw it on the MRI or not. He said I do have the bulging at C7/t1 and a tear at C5 So I will look up that stuff and see if I can find anything out... I will also ask the doc if he saw it on the MRI itself.

[john999]

You know you can have the pain and nothing shows up on an MRI. I have been hurting for years and finally something showed up on the MRI. I had numbness also way back. Half a dozen doctors got it wrong.

[Mr cue]

do you have your mri report . if not i would get it and see what it say and use it the condition on it for my va claim.