Other valuable types of evidence are lay statements and buddy statements. What Should I Expect at a C&P Exam for Neck Pain? When a veteran files a claim for their disability, they must establish a primary service connectionwith or without a diagnosis. Sometimes VA accepts your claim but assigns a lower rating than you may have hoped for. That is considered normal. Without it, your claim will be automatically denied. If you cannot work or earn a living due to your condition, you may be eligible for a 100% disability rating. Its important to ensure that your ratings are accurate, especially if they worsen, as an increase as small as 10% is the difference between thousands of dollars a year. VA Ratings are based on your flexion, or how far you can bend your neck, or they are based on the paralysis in your hands and feet because of your spine problems. Spinal stenosis (diagnostic code 5238): Spinal stenosis is when the spaces in the spine are narrowed and . Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine up to 85 degrees or of the cervical spine up to 40 degrees. Service connection is a way for the VA to determine if a veterans disability is related to their military service. What Are the VA Ratings for Ankylosis, Favorable or Unfavorable? The VA rates Cervicalgia under CFR Title 38, Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities, General Rating Formula for the Spine as follows. This level can also have muscle spasms, muscle guarding, and pain without abnormal gait or curves. Brain and Spinal Cord Disabilities (38 CFR 4.124a). Veterans are not awarded compensation for neck issues that were present at one time but have since healed or gone away. Brian Reese here, Air Force service-disabled Veteran and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. Any sorts of spine surgery while in the service, injuries that affected your back like falls or impacts, and events like car wrecks can all point to spine and back service-connected injuries. At VA Claims Insider, we help you understand and take control of the claims process, so you can get the rating and compensation youre owed by law. Top 100+ VA Disability List of Secondary Conditions (2022 Edition) Spinal Stenosis VA Disability Benefits - Woods and Woods, LLC, Veterans The highest scheduler rating for severe neck pain is 100%, which means your entire spine is frozen in an unfavorable position. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class).