What type of back problems qualify for VA disability?

VA claims for a back condition

Common back conditions include spinal stenosis, a cervical strain, segmental instability, a vertebral fracture, or ankylosing spondylitis. Some of these disabilities are injuries, while others are degenerative conditions, but they can all receive a medical diagnosis from your doctor.

What does the VA look for in back pain?

Therefore, in regards to direct service connection for back pain, veterans must show evidence of the following: A current diagnosis of a back condition; An in-service event, injury, or illness; and. A medical nexus (i.e. link) between the current, diagnosed back condition and the in-service event, injury, or illness.

Is lower back pain a VA disability?

If veterans can establish that their low back pain is a result of their military service, they may be eligible to receive VA disability benefits in the form of monthly compensation and VA healthcare.

What is the VA rating for lumbar?

§ 4.45. Diagnostic Code 5292 provides that, where there is slight limitation of motion of the lumbar spine, a 10 percent rating will be assigned.

What is the easiest VA disability to claim?

The #1 Easiest VA Disability to Claim: Tinnitus

Tinnitus can only have one VA rating. It is either 10% or nothing. There is no lower VA rating and there is no higher VA rating. Therefore, we call it a “low-value” claim, because it is always rated at 10%, and 10% only, with no exceptions.

VA Disability Rating for Lower Back Pain

What is the VA 5 year rule?

The VA disability rating 5-year rule states that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot reduce a veteran's disability rating if it has been in place for five years or more unless the condition shows sustained improvement over time. In this situation, the veteran's rating is considered a stabilized rating.

What is the most approved disability?

1. Arthritis. Arthritis and other musculoskeletal disabilities are the most commonly approved conditions for disability benefits. If you are unable to walk due to arthritis, or unable to perform dexterous movements like typing or writing, you will qualify.

What is the VA rating for bulging disc?

40% – with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months. 20% – with incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months.

What is the average VA rating for degenerative disc disease?

So, individuals with a low range of motion and other severe symptoms will receive a higher VA disability rating for DDD. The VA generally rates degenerative disc disease between 10 and 20%, depending on the number of joints affected.

Can you get VA disability for bulging disc in back?

If you developed a bulging disc due to your time in the military, you're entitled to disability compensation. If you suffered an injury in service that led to your spinal problems, you can receive bulging disc VA disability compensation.

Can you get disability for chronic back pain?

Social Security Disability for Back Pain (Updated 2022) If you suffer from back pain and it makes unable to work, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program.

What is VA rating for chronic pain?

The Veteran claims entitlement to an increased rating for chronic pain disorder associated with both psychological factors and general medical condition, rated 50 percent disabling effective from July 1992.

Is chronic pain a VA disability?

VA can now award service connection for chronic pain that lacks a specific diagnosis, as long as that pain is connected to an event that occurred or symptom that appeared while the veteran was on active duty. Furthermore, the veteran's chronic pain must cause functional impairment or loss.

How do you prove back pain is service connected?

Documentation of an explosion, exposure to enemy fire, or even the date when you first complained of the pain to a medic or doctor can establish an event in service which may lead to qualifying for entitlement to service connection. Follow-up care in the VA after discharge can also help prove this connection.

Is it hard to get disability for degenerative disc disease?

While the neck or back pain that DDD causes can make life miserable and can make it very difficult to continue working, it's not easy to get disability benefits for the condition, especially for individuals younger than fifty (and particularly for individuals under the age of forty).

What is the VA rating for neck pain?

Can I get VA Disability for neck muscle pain? Yes, as long as the neck pain is service-connected, you can qualify for VA Disability. It will be rated the minimum 10% unless there is limited motion that qualifies for a higher rating.

How do I get a higher VA rating for back pain?

The disability rating assigned by the VA isn't the end-all. You can file for a rating increase if your pain has worsened, or you can also apply for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU). TDIU requires that you have one condition with at least a 60% rating or two disabilities that add up to 70%.

What percent disability is a herniated disc?

VA Disability Ratings for Herniated Discs

20% – Veterans who have had episodes that last for at least 2 weeks, but less than 4 weeks, in the past 12 months, may be able to qualify for this rating. 40% – Having episodes that last for at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks in the past 12 months.

Is herniated discs a VA disability?

A Veteran can receive VA disability for herniated discs if they can show that their military service caused the disability, the disability worsened while in the military, or another disability caused by service led to the herniated disc.

What are 4 hidden disabilities?

What is the hardest state to get disability?

Oklahoma is the hardest state to get for Social Security disability. This state has an SSDI approval rate of only 33.4% in 2020 and also had the worst approval rate in 2019 with 34.6% of SSDI applications approved. Alaska had the second-worst approval rate, with 35.3% of applications approved in 2020 and 36.2% in 2019.

What conditions are automatically approved for disability?

What is the 55 rule in the VA?

What is the VA 55-year-old rule? Veterans who receive VA disability benefits for service-connected conditions are exempt from periodic future examinations once they turn 55 years old. This includes veterans who will be 55 by the date of a future examination, according to the VA Adjudication Procedures Manual.

Does VA spy on disabled veterans?

A VA inspector used a spy-like camera-pen to record the veteran engaged in a VA social function. At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “The severity of my disability is real, and the VA has proof.” Which, by the way, is the case for 99% of veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Does VA disability last for life?

Most veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have a disability connected to their service are eligible for veterans disability benefits. Generally speaking, as a veteran, you can receive disability benefits for the rest of your life, as long as you remain disabled.