ptsd Should I Claim Knee Pain?

[doco2279]

Good morning. This is my first post here. This site has been very helpful since I started reading it. I applied for PTSD starting back in June 2013. I was in Sadr City, Iraq in 2004-2005. I waited 8 years to claim, but my wife and parents were pushing me to claim it. I was awarded last month 50% for MDD. While I was applying for compensation, I was fixated on just getting the PTSD/MDD taken care of. Now that is over with, I am considering filing for the patellar femoral syndrome that I was diagnosed with back in 2008. At that time, I was called up to re-activate from IRR. I was released from that due to my patellar femoral syndrome, which I believe is service connected. It is intermittent pain and causes me difficulty walking at times. I'm not sure how much success I will have though, considering I was never treated for it while I was active duty, and it comes and goes, so I'm not sure how a C&P exam would go. I do have medical records however from my civilian primary care giver and orthopedic specialist showing that I have PFS. Any thoughts or advice? I don't want to waste my time if I don't have a chance of getting a rating.

Thanks

[BakerGeckos]

I am not going to say you shouldn't file but from personal experience they mainly rate on range of motion. But I wish you lots of luck...

[ArNG11]

I would say if you have the evidence, it happened in service and is a problem now, definitely file. If you have your records and have and are getting treatment then get it all together and file a fully developed claim.

[doco2279]

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.

[Fco75th25div]

If you were released from re-active duty by military doctors read their notes what is the opinion and their stated views on how the condition happen or cause ?? post it on here the documentation, be sure to remove your personal data - ssn, name case file number etc. If the doctor happen to state the condition was caused by something while in service good ! Also if the condition is worsen by your duty or activity while in service and they are releasing you from duty because ! Again you are looking good to establish service connection.qualification In the mean time be sure your pain med's are active and your treatment record from the private doctors are clean, Do they recommend any treatment (PT) or what ? Didi they do a MRI study.. What did they base their opinion on ?... What about devices the knee brace ? Get a consult to VA Ortho Dept and show they your private evaluations ask for meds, knee brace for support and pain management clinic followup Then submit your claim showing active treatment check tittle 38, look under knee ankylosis 4.71 a "The Knee and Leg" go down to 5256, 5257, 5258. 5259, or 5260. Good luck kept posting here

[john999]

I think you should file now. Think what it may be like in 30 years. If you wait years to file the VA will find all sorts of excuses as to what may have happend to you since. What seem like minor conditions to the 20 something guy/gal become major concerns to the 40 year old who has a mortgage, wife and kids in school. When we are young we never think that one day things will change and maybe for the worse from that injury you just ignored for years. My feet and knees hurt in the army. I did go for xrays one time. All that documentation disappeared from my SMR's. Now at age 64 I don't even walk so well. I can't prove a thing because my records are "silent on this issue" just like other things since I was just a kid when I went in and when I got out. I did not know these things would come back to haunt me.

John

[cooter]

What was your MOS during your stint.

[militarynurse]

Look at it this way: If you don't file, you get zilch.

[broncovet]

The decision turns on the nexus. Did you have an inservice event which could be linked to knee pain? For example, did you fracture your leg in service? (I did and have knee pain.)

Also if you jumped out of the sky, that can cause knee pain even if you have no symptoms while in the military.

Just look at the whole picture and think, "If I was the decison maker, would I award benefits?"

If you sincerely think your knee pain is related to service, then file for benefits. However, if you can not see a connection of your knee pain to the military, then dont waste time and resources..save those for a Veteran who is service connected. You know this better than we do..we dont know your health history.

[doco2279]

Thanks for all the advice. Cooter, as far as MOS...I was a medic while I was enlisted for four years, and did another four years as a Field Artillery Officer. Most of the time as an officer, I was locked into an FSO (fire support officer) role. During that time, I was jumping off my Bradley all the time. I also went through jump school, but I don't think 5 jumps would have caused the pain. However, jumping down from my Bradley over and over....might have contributed. As far as a traumatic injury that could have caused the patella femoral issue, I didn't experience anything like that. Just repeated pounding over a four year period.