Backpain question

[bruinboy]

I am confused... I have a complaint of backpain on my exit physicial. I stated that I had a serious back spasm for about a week in medical record .... I continue to have back pain so I filed a claim. Recently I had a C&P for lower back pain and spasm.  Can this service connect? This Veteran describes a clinical picture of occasional lumbar muscle spasm/strain, with no objective evidence that is had its onset in service.However, his X-rays show diffuse degenerative spondylosis which could be triggering the spasms. The radiologic abnormalities may be nothing more than simple wear and tear of the spine, but the likelihood is that the process began more than 12 months ago, i.e. began while he was in service. THerefore, it is at least as likely as not that his LBP had its onset while in service

[Carl the Engineer]

bruinboy,

Heres the beauty of your report.  Arthritis.  It looks like you will get at least 10% for arthritis.  You could get more from ROM, but you'll have to wait for thier desision.  

Now, after a while if you have (get) an x-ray of your neck and it shows arthritis, you can get that SC'd secondary to your thoracic.  Then you can get 10% for that and maybe more if your have neck ROM issues.

You could have your lumbar evaliated for secondaries, however, they count that with the thoracic, so it could be added and you would get the higher of the two and not each.

I am currently 20% cervical and 20% thoracic/lumbar for range of motion.  It started at 10% for cervical DDD (arthritis).  Later increase cervical for ROM and then I claimed thoracic seconday to cervical and got 20% for DDD DJD (arthritis) for ROM.

Any x-ray of arthritis will only get you 10%.  ROM gets you more.

Any key to Range of Motion is to stop movement UPON pain.  I did this with my arm movement for a ROM test for my shoulder.  Don't let the examiner pull/push you farther than first pain.  Stop at pain.  FYI, my neck and spine ROM didn't not involve pain (I literly cannot move any farther).

Also, as other will opine, it will take you a while for all this to build a case/claim, you just have to keep plugging a long.  There are a couple of big steps you want to make.  30%, 50% 70% and 100% are important markers for percentages and all have important benifits.

My story;

2009 30%, 2011 40%, 2013 60% and lastly 2014 70%.  And am planning my next claim as we speak.

And your your only advocate.  Read, read and read again.

Hope this helps,

Hamslice

 

[pwrslm]

Because the C&P Exam noted at least as likely as not (50%)  It should be SC'd.  The ROM is not less than 60, so hey will probably give you 10% on the back issue.  As long as they say that the onset of the symptoms was during active duty, you qualify.

You are pretty young (it sounds like).  Your back is a tough system of disc and bone.  Good advice;  get X ray and/or MRI to confirm that this is not a small problem that could get big later on.  Correcting a disc problem (if one exists) now might save you a lot of trouble later.  A good therapist or Chiro can fix it without needing surgery most of the time at the early stages.

Edited April 11, 2016 by pwrslm

[iceturkee]

your range of motion is nearly normal other than the 80 degrees where 90 is normal. your others are normal. given that, i think the most you will get is 10 percent and maybe even 0 percent. i'm currently 40 percent for my back.

[john999]

The main thing above all is to get this back injury service connected.  If you are young now and you have spine trouble due to arthritis just think what it may be like in 40 years.?  I can tell what it may be like.  You may end up having constant back pain that can only be corrected by surgery.   This is the worst option of all since there is a whole category of "Failed Back Surgery" diagnosis.  Get any and all problems you believe occurred in service connected to your service.  No injury or illness is too small because these things loom large in your later years.   I had foot and knee problems in Basic and AIT.  I did complain and low and behold all my medical records from that time vanished.  Now if I were to file on these conditions I would lose because there is no record of any medical treatment or complaints in my file.  This was way back in 1969.  About half of my medical records are missing.   I know you got a full copy of your military records at ETS.  Most of us older vets did not get a copy nor were we offered a copy.   Now look at us!   I have arthritis so bad in my knees, back and hips I can hardly get in and out of my car after driving for half an hour.  I know it was probably from forced marches carrying all that junk on my back but how can I prove it after all these years.