Need Some Help

[firerage101]

In 2001 i was discharged from the air force for multiple instability on left non dominate arm. The VA at that time assigned me a rating of 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5202. In approx 2005 I began experiencing decreased range of motion and submitted a claim for increase as the condition worsened. I was granted 30 percent and my rating code changed to 5201 due to limitation of motion with repetitive use.

In 2010, I was diagnosed with Chronic Left Shoulder Pain with degenerative changes of humeral head and secondary dysfunction of scapula. I submitted a claim for the secondary dysfunction of the scapular (scapular dyskinesia) it was originally denied in Oct 2011, as they claimed there was no code for this and said they would grant an additional 20 percent if i showed ankylosis (immobility) however my VA record don’t indicate this.

What bothers me is scapular dyskinesia is immobility/dysfunction of the scapula just not the term ankylosis . They further claimed that the scapular dyskinesia was considered part of my shoulder diagnosis, yet it is a separate area that area of my body. So I opened a claim to ask for an increase based on scapular dyskinesia as secondary to left shoulder and now here we are. What should I expect and what should I prepare for. Any advice would be great, also I do have arthritis and it has been diagnosed with x-ray (termed mild degeneration of humeral head). Would this allow an additional 10 percent?. What appears the problem to me is they are lumping everything in with loss of range of motion yet I have a scapular condition that causes severe pain and loss of motion / humeral joint condition that causes pain and loss of motion and arthritis, I should note that the scapular condition is causing narrowing of the c-6 spine due to muscles pulling so much and headaches but havnt even got them to start that claim yet.

[sambo808]

It seems your shoulder condition is all joint related condition associated with your shoulder. You are not going to get a separate evaluation for scapular dyskinesia as it is predicated on painful motion of the shoulder. To give you a separate 10 percent evaluation for the arthritis of the shoulder would be considered pyramiding as arthritis is also predicated on pain, which is the cardinal symptom of arthritis. That is not to say that 20 percent is the most you are going to get for your shoulder. You may eventually develop a nerve dysfunction which can be separately rated from joints. Joints and nerves can be separately rated but muscle and nerves may not and in most cases rated together.