Wrists and Hands

[RBrogen]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to see if anyone here had ever connected arthritis in their wrist/hands arthritis to another condition like Radiculopathy of Upper Right/Left or Cervical spine issues?  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Randy

[broncovet]

Its not about what "we" think, the SC hinges around what the doc says in his report.  

IF your doc made an opinion close to "the Veterans arthritis of the hand is at least as likely as not due to Radiculopathy of Upper Right/Left or Cervical spine issues, then you are good to go.

For secondary condtions only 2 Caluza elements are needed, not the usual 3:

1.  You need a current diagnosis. 

2.  You need a nexus from your doc, that your (hand arthritis) is related to your (SC condition).  

      The reason for only 2, is that you dont need to repeat an "in service event", when you are already sc for a primary condition.  In other words, your "in service event" was already covered when you got sc for the primary condition.  

 

[RBrogen]

I'm actually trying to see if there has been anyone to service connect arthritis in wrists and/or hands with radiculopathy before.  My c&p examiner mentioned that this is a path to potential claim so I wanted to see if anyone was aware.

[ShrekTheTank]

The answer to your question is yes you can.  You need what Bronco put up there for it to win.  As long as you can show how one affects the other or how it was seen for in service then you for sure can.  Also remember you could have been seen in service for something totally different you thought at the time, but it could be the starting of this condition.  Always check your C-File.  

[broncovet]

Its certainly true that your doc may not even bring up the possibility of secondary SC for these conditions.  So, unless the Vet brings it up, this nexus would not go into the docs report, and the Vet would be denied.  

Even when there is a known primary-secondary Service connection, the Va most often looks the other way, or even takes pains to avoid this SC.  Example:

    I applied for OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) secondary to depression.  I spoke with a sleep doc, and he said that OSA and mental health disorders are known to be related, in fact, PTSD and OSA have similar symptoms!   

    However, I went for a C and P exam for OSA, and it was done by an MD totally unfamilar with sleep medicine.  The examiner opined that my sleep apnea was unrelated to MDD.  

     Even tho I challenged the competency of the examiner (the examiner had neither training nor expertise in sleep medicine), I wasnt given another exam.  Instead, the VA just plain "forgot" about my appeal and closed it.  10 years wasted and start over..typical of the VA.  Now I can try to fight to get SC again, then fight them still again for an earlier effective date.  Its how the VA wins.  They wear you out like schister sales people when you are looking to buy a car.  You get so tired of fighting VA, you give up.  

      I havent given up, but am persuing another route first, to SC for SMC S which could or should yield an earlier effective date.  (A rating of OSA wont increase my rating, since Im already 100 percent, except to qualify me for "100 plus 60" statuatory SMC S).  

     

      

[RBrogen]

6 hours ago, shrekthetank1 said:

The answer to your question is yes you can.  You need what Bronco put up there for it to win.  As long as you can show how one affects the other or how it was seen for in service then you for sure can.  Also remember you could have been seen in service for something totally different you thought at the time, but it could be the starting of this condition.  Always check your C-File.  

Thanks for the info everyone ... I've been waiting for 5 months for my c-file request to be fulfilled.