cervical strain Mri Results

[Scout Swimmer]

I had a sit down with a neurologist to review my MRI about my neck problem and what he said sort of shocked me.

Currently 20% rated for "cervical strain" awarded back in 09. (They never did the MRI).

The imaging revealed degenerative disc disease with 2 herniated discs which are pinching a nerve which makes my left arm basically useless. Bone spurs too.

Except the nerve thing, same symptoms I've always had since injury so I'm thinking the VA misdiagnosed me. I just sort of dealt with it but after 2 months of pain meds I had enough.

Debating on asking for an increase but not sure how to go about it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again.

[rpowell01]

File for an increase on your neck, they SHOULD and are suppose to by law and VA policy change your diagnosis to DDD because DDD is higher degree of diagnosis. Then file for Upper Extremity Radiculopathy secondary to your neck. Also if you are having muscle spasms do not forget you can file claims on them to as secondary.

When you file for increase explain that the VA Regional Office needs to change your diagnosis to Cervical DDD/DJD.

Did the Neurologist explain where the bone spurs were located? Remember if they are in the back of spine it probably means you also have Traumatic Osteoarthritis. I also had two herniated discs per a MRI in early 2011. One at C2-3 and one at C5-6. Nobody wanted to do surgery because its the arthritis causing the herniations. When arthritis sets in there is no true treatment to deal with it because the medical fields believes the joints need to move. This is why most surgeries in the spine for disc issues usually end up arthrithic.

I am not telling you how to live your life but if there is arthritis in your neck already you might prepare yourself to live like a lot of us on this board, in pain. The herniations will heal in time but the pain never goes away because of the arthritis. I live in moderate to sever pain because of my neck, mid back and lumbar all mainly caused by the stupid arthritis. I've been in pain so back in my legs that I told the pain management neurologist to go in and please just cut the nerve roots. Of course they won't do that but unless people understand what we go through they will never, ever understand nerve pain.

Edited December 14, 2014 by rpowell01

[Scout Swimmer]

Well this year has been pretty bad. I've been on heavy pain killers, almost got addicted. I do have bone spurs too. I'm not sure what a muscle spasm is, but the left side of my upper back is hard as a rock and sore all over! Didn't know you can file secondaries for a strain.

[rosypalm]

Interesting

[rpowell01]

Well this year has been pretty bad. I've been on heavy pain killers, almost got addicted. I do have bone spurs too. I'm not sure what a muscle spasm is, but the left side of my upper back is hard as a rock and sore all over! Didn't know you can file secondaries for a strain.

My mistake you can't file for strain as secondary because its a primary condition. What happens in most veterans with spine issues are first given a diagnosis of Cervical Strain or Lumosacral Strain if MRIs and Xrays really don't show anything. Then as you get older, all those little tears in the muscles surrounding the joints cause the vertebra and joints to become lose. Then like in my case those joints deteriorate meaning I have no cartledge left in my joints, from C2 down to S1. I may have some here and there but the majority of mine are gone. My spine sounds like rocks rubbing each other has I tilt my neck or turn. When you see an Xray report showing that there is a progression of degenerative joint disease or even DDD it means you have arthritis. The medical world consider both the same. When you have BOTH DDD and DJD its called spondylosis which is the same as Osteoarthritis. Just remember they go hand in hand. If you have one then it may cause the other. I don't know the ratio of how many people get both like I and others on this board have.

Its a progression. Over time that strain does what it means, it puts a strain on your spine. Some people end up with just disc problems (DDD), some with joint problems (DJD) and some with both. I have both problems in my neck, both in my thoracic spine (between my shoulder blades, and I have more DJD in my lumbar than anything. Understand that BOTH issues can most likely cause nerver damage. DDD mainly at the nerve root and DJD at nerve endings. They both are painful as all get out mainly when they cause radicular pain.

I am also on heavy pain meds, Oxycodone 5mg, Gabapentin 3600mg and Baclofen 10mg. My brain has become mush. My short term memory is bad, very bad. You now its bad when you can't remember what your wife told you just 5 minutes ago. Yes I do my best of not taking them when I don't have to but a person who has been taking these meds for a period of time can't just stop taking them. Your body will do weird things. I stopped cold turkey with my Gabapentin earlier this year and I severly paid for it. My chiropractor got all over me and told me NOT to stop taking them cold turkey. Every medication is like this.

[Scout Swimmer]

That sucks man. Life gets really hard when you're in pain everyday.

I'm fed up with it all. I was denied because the VA said it was due to age (I just turned 41). As if the condition just happened this year or something.

Just filed a NOD asking them to change my diagnostic code to IVDS. I will probably lose though and honestly I don't know what else I can do.