Knee S/C Secondary Question

[malandroaz]

I am service connected for both knees for   Patellofemoral Syndrome both rated at 10%.  I am having both hip problems and lower back. What is the code I should claim for this? What is the name? I plan to go through my medical doctor to get xray and treatment next week.  Also I will get a IMO letter to connect it. 

[broncovet]

Dont try to be "too smart".  It will cost you money.  If you apply for femoral ulnar inflamation, and it turns out to be a tuberial vericity, then you could be denied and have to start over again.  

Tell em "your hip hurts" and you would like to apply for benefits for it both primary and secondary to your knees.  If pain goes up into your back, or down the legs, apply for those, too.    Tell em you are not sure if its bone, joint, nerve,  or muscle (soft tissue) injury as you are not a doctor.  Then give em your symptoms, when it hurts, etc. You wont get benefits until you get not only  a doc's diagnosis anyway, but an inservice event and nexus anyways,  and maybe you need to brush up on reading and interpreting x rays and MRI's, unless you are a radiologist.    

I have seen far too many Vets get burned thinking they could/should self diagnose, and then comes a VA doc who says "you dont have .....(your hypothetical diagnosis)...you have something else).

My wife is a nurse, and she says there is nothing more dangerous than someone who "thinks" the know all about medicine.  After you go to 10 years of pre med and medical school, then try your hand at self diagnosis.  

Edited June 27, 2016 by broncovet

[Buck52]

In my  opinion its better to get a VA OR Private Diagnoses first before filing a claim  then get your STR's And all medical records that have been documented  especially if it was an injury from your military service  and has worsened over the years.  nexus from a Quailfied Dr to give his/her opinion on likely as not caused by your military service.