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straightening of the neck

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Shallz68

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I recently went and had my annual exam at the VA Medical Center and was just told that I had straightening of the neck, results from an MRI over a year ago (they never looked at the results until this appointment). I was given Baclofen for the muscle spasms along with Tramadol for the pain, which I was on Tramadol and Methocarbamol for the last 2 years. I am already rated 20% for "Degenerative Disc Disease and Arthric Cervical Spine (Claimed as Osteophytosis of Cervical Spine). Should I be putting in a claim to get my % increased or does my current percentage cover this?

Edited by Shallz68
mispellings
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  • Content Curator/HadIt.com Elder

Welcome to Hadit!

I added the spine rating table below. Look at the criteria for 20% and higher ratings. Having an abnormal cervical spine curvature is one of the criteria for a 20% rating. Spine ratings can be given for a variety of factors.

Check your exam notes and see if the measured your range of motion (ROM). Technically, they are supposed to use a goinometer (like a plastic protractor) to accurately measure ROM. If your ROM ranges meet the requirements for a higher rating -or- you meet criteria for incapacitating episodes/IVDS (further below), then filing a claim would be a good idea. However, keep in mind that painful motion equals limited motion and should be calculated separately from your max ROM. For example, if you move 15 degrees and pain starts, but can continue moving to a max of 30 degrees in that axis, then the VA is supposed to use the measurement of where pain starts for calculating your disability.

Also, consider ankylosis. Favorable means "stuck" in a more normal posture. Unfavorable is the opposite and you're stuck in poor posture with no improvement (hunched over, leaning to one side), etc...

Additionally, if you have radiculopathy (pain, numbness, tingling) running down your arms/hands, then that can be claimed as a secondary to your SC cervical spine.


§4.71a   Schedule of ratings—musculoskeletal system

Quote
  Rating
General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine  
(For diagnostic codes 5235 to 5243 unless 5243 is evaluated under the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes):  
With or without symptoms such as pain (whther or not it radiates), stiffness, or aching in the area of the spine affected by residuals of injury or disease  
Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine 100
Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine 50
Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or, forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine 40
Forward flexion of the cervical spine 15 degrees or less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine 30
Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees; or, forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 15 degrees but not greater than 30 degrees; or, the combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; or, the combined range of motion of the cervical spine not greater than 170 degrees; or, muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or abnormal kyphosis 20
Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees; or, forward flexion of the cervical spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 40 degrees; or, combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 120 degrees but not greater than 235 degrees; or, combined range of motion of the cervical spine greater than 170 degrees but not greater than 335 degrees; or, muscle spasm, guarding, or localized tenderness not resulting in abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour; or, vertebral body fracture with loss of 50 percent or more of the height 10
Note (1): Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.  
Note (2): (See also Plate V.) For VA compensation purposes, normal forward flexion of the cervical spine is zero to 45 degrees, extension is zero to 45 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 45 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 80 degrees. Normal forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine is zero to 90 degrees, extension is zero to 30 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 30 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 30 degrees. The combined range of motion refers to the sum of the range of forward flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. The normal combined range of motion of the cervical spine is 340 degrees and of the thoracolumbar spine is 240 degrees. The normal ranges of motion for each component of spinal motion provided in this note are the maximum that can be used for calculation of the combined range of motion.  
Note (3): In exceptional cases, an examiner may state that because of age, body habitus, neurologic disease, or other factors not the result of disease or injury of the spine, the range of motion of the spine in a particular individual should be considered normal for that individual, even though it does not conform to the normal range of motion stated in Note (2). Provided that the examiner supplies an explanation, the examiner's assessment that the range of motion is normal for that individual will be accepted.  
Note (4): Round each range of motion measurement to the nearest five degrees.  
Note (5): For VA compensation purposes, unfavorable ankylosis is a condition in which the entire cervical spine, the entire thoracolumbar spine, or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the following: difficulty walking because of a limited line of vision; restricted opening of the mouth and chewing; breathing limited to diaphragmatic respiration; gastrointestinal symptoms due to pressure of the costal margin on the abdomen; dyspnea or dysphagia; atlantoaxial or cervical subluxation or dislocation; or neurologic symptoms due to nerve root stretching. Fixation of a spinal segment in neutral position (zero degrees) always represents favorable ankylosis.  
Note (6): Separately evaluate disability of the thoracolumbar and cervical spine segments, except when there is unfavorable ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single disability.  
Quote
  5235   Vertebral fracture or dislocation  
   5236   Sacroiliac injury and weakness  
   5237   Lumbosacral or cervical strain  
   5238   Spinal stenosis  
   5239   Spondylolisthesis or segmental instability  
   5240   Ankylosing spondylitis  
   5241   Spinal fusion  
   5242   Degenerative arthritis of the spine (see also diagnostic code 5003)  
   5243   Intervertebral disc syndrome  
Evaluate intervertebral disc syndrome (preoperatively or postoperatively) either under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine or under the Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes, whichever method results in the higher evaluation when all disabilities are combined under §4.25.  
Formula for Rating Intervertebral Disc Syndrome Based on Incapacitating Episodes  
With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months 60
With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months 40
With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months 20
With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least one week but less than 2 weeks during the past 12 months 10
Note (1): For purposes of evaluations under diagnostic code 5243, an incapacitating episode is a period of acute signs and symptoms due to intervertebral disc syndrome that requires bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician.  
Note (2): If intervertebral disc syndrome is present in more than one spinal segment, provided that the effects in each spinal segment are clearly distinct, evaluate each segment on the basis of incapacitating episodes or under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine, whichever method results in a higher evaluation for that segment.  

 

 

 

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