As more veterans serve flying drones or fighting from behind a desk, there will be more with long-term back pain from sitting too long. These injuries are coded 5202. For example, you may not be able to safely drive, lift objects, care for children, or maintain your home. Post-traumatic arthritis is evaluated based on limitation of motion (LOM), dislocation, or other specified instability of the affected joint under the corresponding DC for the joint, and not evaluated utilizing arthritis criteria, such as 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5003. If your knees are significantly inhibited in their range of motion to the point that they can only extend to more than 45 degrees of being completely straight, your disability score is likely to be as high as possible. It may take some time for you to experience severe pain from an obvious tear, but it would still be a direct result of the original injury. VA Disability For Knee And Leg Conditions - The Veterans Law Office VA Disability Ratings for Shoulder and Arm Conditions, Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School, - Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School. Function: Extension of the elbow (long head of triceps is the stabilizer of shoulder joint). Your clavicle can also dislocate from your scapula at your acromioclavicular joint. The first is medical evidence of a current disability. The shoulder also contains ligaments, the fibrous tissues that connect one bone to another bone. Sometimes, the VA does not accurately assess a Veterans condition, which can lead to a wrongful denial of a claim. Even. The rating number correlates with the monthly payment amount veterans are entitled to receive. If the amputation is to the deltoid, the VA will give you 80%. Learn what youve been missingso you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation YOU DESERVE! However, if your arthritis is bad enough that you arecompletely bedridden, youll be eligible for a 100 percent disability rating. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. His victories for veterans are often featured in mainstream news, including the Miami Herald, Dallas Morning News, Sacramento Bee, and others, as well as in many military publications. The examiner may also perform a physical exam on the veteran. Some veterans may not be aware that VA disability ratings can be assigned for shoulder-specific impairments and painful motion like rotator cuff tears, bursitis, and more. Fill out the short form below to contact us. So if you have a shoulder separation and a humerus injury that rate at 20 percent each, your disability rating is not 40 percent. For instance, the following chart accompanies the Schedule of Ratings for ankle, knee, and hip disabilities: Each subcategory under the Rating Schedule includes numerous diagnostic codes, which represent specific disabilities. Let's talk about your VA disability benefits. They may test your range of motion and look for muscle weakness. If you feel that your claim has been denied wrongly, you can make an appeal with the help of an attorney. To be eligible for a shoulder pain VA rating, you must meet three criteria by law: There are a few different ways to prove service connection for shoulder pain. Shoulder Rotator cuff repair refers to the surgery to correct a rotator cuff tear in the shoulder. Below are some common examples of shoulder and arm conditions: Generally speaking, VA rates shoulder and arm conditions under both 38 CFR 4.71a Schedule of Ratings Musculoskeletal System and 4.73, Schedule of Ratings Muscle Injuries. Yes, as long as the shoulder pain is service-connected, you can qualify for VA Disability. Where there are additional disabilities rated 50% or 100%, or anatomical or loss of use of a third extremity see 38 CFR 3.350 (f) (3), (4) or (5). Protective tissues called the labrum line the joint socket. Applying for VA Benefits Years After Service: Is It Allowed? This means you do NOT currently have the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve, and you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits each month. If your shoulder aches from time to time when it rains, youre likely to get 10 percent disability. If you have questions about wrist injuries, single incident ratings, or IU, feel free to call us at 1-800-728-0434 or email us at [email protected]. VA FORM JAN 2011 . Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to stay updated on VA news, policy changes, and more. All Rights Reserved. The description of the events must be verifiable and they present a clear narrative of what happened. You can use your service medical records, military records, and a personal statement to prove your shoulder injury occurred while you were serving. IE A veteran who has various disabilities in their knee, ankle, and foot, Those ratings cannot combine to be more than a Veteran who had their leg amputated just above the knee. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! Veterans will need to be able to show that a condition is impacting their well-being and ability to work. representing common disabilities of that body part. VA Ratings for Back Pain range from 10 percent to 100 percent, with breaks at 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, and 50 percent.All ratings are rounded to the nearest 10th, and standard tendonitis is given a 10% minimum rating. Random flare-ups are common in musculoskeletal disabilities, making each day a different experience for Veterans with these conditions. VA Disability Rating for Rotator Cuff Repair and Shoulder Bursitis Acute, Subacute, or Chronic Diseases Prosthetic Implants The Shoulder and Arm The Elbow and Forearm The Wrist The Spine The Ankle Shortening of the Lower Extremity 3 Also entitled to special monthly compensation. After the first year, youll receive a permanent disability rating based on your level of function once youre fully healed. Attorney Gang is frequently in the news with commentary on issues affecting veterans. Before we dive into all of the VA disability rating codes for shoulder injuries, lets go over some basic anatomy of the shoulder, beginning with your bones. All of the criteria include severe, moderately severe, moderate, or slight and corresponds to a disability rating ranging from 0 to 40 percent. Even if you did not lose your shoulder and/or arm, it's still possible you can't use . This is the most common knee problem eligible for VA disability benefits, with ratings that typically range from 10% to 30%. If you have to have your arm amputated below the deltoid, youll receive a 70 percent rating, with all of these falling under code 5200. For flare-ups, the examiner should ask whether a Veteran deals with flare-ups and ask them to describe their functional loss as a result. 38 CFR 4.71a Diagnostic Code 5200 Scapulohumeral articulation, ankylosis of: 38 CFR 4.71a Diagnostic Code 5201 Arm, limitation of motion of: Recurring pain when using your shoulder (e.g., lifting, pushing, etc. For instance, if you were lifting weights during your free time while on base and you tore your rotator cuff, this would still count as a service-connected disability. Tell Your C&P Examiner Everything You Can About Your Symptoms, Including Flare-Ups. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability that limits your range of motion, you are entitled to disability compensation. However, establishing service connection for shoulder and arm conditions can be difficult. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 This diagnostic code breaks down the way that the shoulder and arm move. Frozen shoulder. We know the pain of feeling stuck, frustrated, and alone, and we want to make this process as easy and painless as possible for you. What Veterans Need to Know About Osteoarthritis? if you didnt have any more shoulder problems until after you were discharged, they could be linked to that time your shoulder was dislocated. If accepted into our ELITE membership program, youll get free up-front access and permission to use $13,119 worth of proprietary VA claim resources, including access to our network of independent medical professionals for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible Medical Nexus Letters, which could help you get a HIGHER VA rating in LESS time. The Torso and Neck Muscles Military Disability Made Easy If you have a disability claim with the VA that you would like to appeal, please contact our team at (888) 682-0786 to schedule a free case evaluation. Rotator cuff tears can severely limit a persons range of motion, which may qualify them for disability benefits based on their inability to work. The VA's painful motion rule entitles a veteran to a 10% rating even if they don't meet the specific diagnostic criteria as . Veterans who have a disability resulting from a shoulder injury during service may be entitled to VA benefits. The experienced VA disability attorneys on our team understand how VA claims work and are dedicated to helping Veterans get the compensation they are entitled to. Specifically, veterans will be assigned a 100 percent rating until intensive treatment is over. With OA, the tissues in the joint break down over time or have an alteration in their structure. If your shoulder is completely frozen, how its rated will depend on where its frozen. The VA may use several ratings schedules in combination when rating rotator cuff injuries. Pain versus Range of Motion - Veterans Benefits Network