Chronic Pain Claim

[tk123456789]

Hello, I recently made a VA claim for chronic pain due to my already existing 10% rated service connected left knee injury. I am waiting to hear back with a decision, I had the C&P and think it went ok.

My question is, since I have filed a chronic pain claim, is it possible to file for other things like PTSD and/or MST? I was speaking with a company that helps veterans and they told me I can't file a claim for PTSD or MST since I filed a claim for chronic pain which falls under mental health. 

[brokensoldier244th]

Just now, shrekthetank1 said:

I don't think chronic pain bring on PTSD.  Now can it make it worse?  I think so.  

Unless there is pyramiding, they would not look at them as one in the same.  Chronic pain and PTSD are two seperate ratings.  

I currently have more than 10 ratable items

1 of them they put in for pyramiding way later in the claim, but it did fall under the issue.  

I have: PTSD-IBS-headaches-Dercums disease-scaring-fibro-high blood pressure-Knee injury-tinitues and hearing loss-Sinitus-Left rib brake-Sleep apnea-and other ones at 0.

So they combined the Dercum's disease with the scaring as it was a result of it.  Now they did give me a higher rating, but not as high as I though they should go.

As for the rest they are all rated seperatly.  

Now if I tried to do depresson-MST-PTSD-Anxitey, they will not rate these seperatly as they would be rated under the same thing.  

There is some pretty compelling evidence out there that chronic pain can be exacerbated by other MH issues, and it can be a symptom of MH issues as well. Its a pretty common comorbidity.

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/cooccurring/chronic_pain_guide.asp

[Guest]

I agree there are things that make my PTSD much worse and my pain sure can. 

But I have never been asked in a C&P exam for PTSD about my chronic pain.  And vise vera about pain and PTSD.  

Do you think a rater would look at one and combine it with your PTSD?  I am wondering as I have not seen it.  

[brokensoldier244th]

It would be combined as it is classified as a MH condition. The existence of it could, perhaps, increase a rating, if it is not currently being considered. 

[Guest]

Chronic Pain and Chronic Pain Syndrome VA Rating (woodslawyers.com)

What is the VA chronic pain rating?

The VA doesn’t have a specific diagnostic code for chronic pain, but it does pay benefits for veterans who experience it. Therefore, VA disability benefits for chronic pain are based on the symptoms or impairments that result from your pain. 

Chronic pain can also be connected as a secondary condition. So, for example, chronic pain may lead to insomnia due to the inability to sleep while suffering pain. Similarly, chronic pain may lead to depression about the pain. In this example, chronic pain would be your primary service-connected disability, and depression or insomnia would be your secondary service-connected disability. 

Applying this example, the VA would first rate the source of chronic pain using the ratings schedule for the body part or system affected by the pain. The VA would then rate the mental disability (depression or insomnia) using the mental disorder ratings schedule. The VA uses these two ratings to determine an overall VA disability rating for chronic pain syndrome.

 

[tk123456789]

Wow all good comments here thank you. Brokensoldier244 thank you also for offering to take a look for me through direct message. My PTSD claim was denied in 2019, and I am not sure if it was because it was MST and at the time they didn't rate that. 

[brokensoldier244th]

1 minute ago, tk123456789 said:

Wow all good comments here thank you. Brokensoldier244 thank you also for offering to take a look for me through direct message. My PTSD claim was denied in 2019, and I am not sure if it was because it was MST and at the time they didn't rate that. 

They rated it then and always have, its more that the way it is put together as a claim when we develop it is different and definitely more consistent.