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To find out more, view our Privacy Policy. Separate ratings occur when there is another distinct manifestation of a disability that is not currently rated. If the amputation is below the deltoid, you'll receive 70%. There are several range-of-motion tests that a doctor would do to assess your shoulder: To file for disability through the VA, veterans need to establish a link between military service and the current disability. Veterans may be more susceptible to shoulder injuries due to the physical nature of their service. As part of its review of the Schedule for Rating Disabilities ( 38 CFR part 4 ), VA published a proposal to amend that portion of the Schedule pertaining to ankylosis and limitation of motion of the fingers and thumb. Veterans should be sure to attend a Compensation and Pension exam once it has been scheduled, as failure to attend can stand as the basis for a denial of the veterans claim. This is commonly rated from 10% to 40%. The final diagnostic code for this rating will either look like 5051-5002 or 5051-5203, where the first four-digit code defines the condition as a shoulder replacement, and the second code tells how the condition is rated. The Schedule of Ratings lists disabilities under different categories based on the part of the body affected. Extrinsic muscles of the shoulder girdle: (1) Pectoralis major II (costosternal); (2) latissimus dorsi and teres major (teres major, although technically an intrinsic muscle, is included with latissimus dorsi); (3) pectoralis minor; (4) rhomboid, 5303 Group III. However, many different conditions could be causing your shoulder pain, including: These conditions can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks such as reaching for items, combing your hair, or even putting on a shirt. Function: Extension of the elbow (long head of triceps is the stabilizer of shoulder joint). It is often referred to as wear and tear arthritis. The VA assigns a percentage rating for disabilities stemming from limited use of shoulder muscles according to severity. These cookies dont collect information that identifies you. A missing arm counts as the highest level of injury, so any disability on your other arm would qualify for the extra 10% rating from the bilateral factor as long as that other arms injury can be service-connected. At Jan Dils Attorneys at Law, we have the knowledge and resources to help you navigate the process VA rating for shoulder injury. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Signs of inflammation: swelling, heat, redness, tenderness, or drainage. Six months after discontinuance of such treatment, the appropriate disability rating shall be determined by mandatory VA examination. For instance, which pages you go to most. 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. representing common disabilities of that body part. They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residual . In the exam, either a VA physician or VA contracted physician will generally ask questions about the shoulder or arm condition and the veterans time in service. Already working with us? Neck mobility exercises can help stretch and strengthen your neck muscles. He is aformer active duty Air Force officerwith extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. With extensive experience working with VA disability claims, Berry Law can help you with your disability appeals. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Any of these structures can be injured, resulting in shoulder pain. Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscle to bone. While we still have our home base in Florida, This article discusses four things you need to know about shoulder pain and VA disability. If youre unhappy with the decision on your VA rating for shoulder pain, you have the right to file to overturn the VAs decision. His eBook, the9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claimhas been downloaded more than 300,000 times in the past three years and is the #1 rated free VA disability claims guide for veterans. Whenever a Veteran applies to receive disability benefits from the VA, their claim will either be approved, deferred, or denied. After the first year, youll receive a permanent disability rating based on your level of function once youre fully healed. Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to stay updated on VA news, policy changes, and more. Many activities in service, such as lifting heavy objects, transporting heavy supplies, or forms of physical training, can often cause shoulder and arm injuries. Payments for ratings of 30 percent and above depend on whether you have a dependent spouse and/or children. Injuries in combat, such as a blow from an accident, a forceful impact, or a fall, could also result in shoulder or arm injury. If it can bend to 30, it is rated 20%. These cookies do not store any personal information. VA disability is awarded because you were injured while serving, regardless of the glory of the job. A diagnosis from your treating physician for a torn rotator cuff. 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. In the most severe cases of injury, you may have to have your whole arm amputated up to the shoulder. If the doctor does not agree with you or you feel that the rating is too low, you do have the right to appeal. You could also be eligible for a VA disability rating for arthritis in your shoulder if your range of motion limitation doesnt qualify you for a compensable rating. Contact Us If your arm cannot move 25 degrees away from your side, youll get a disability rating of 50 percent for a dominant arm or 40 percent for a non-dominant arm. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. If you dont have trouble controlling your movement, but your bones didnt heal back together, youll get a rating of 10 percent. In some cases, your shoulder dislocation may not involve your humerus bone popping out of the scapula joint. Do You Qualify for Long Term Disability Benefits? The VA disability rating for shoulder rotator cuff tear is typically around 10%-20%. These ratings include: The most important factors of a veterans disability and getting an increased rating will be how the shoulder pain developed, what kind of treatment you needed, and how the initial pain and recovery impacted your ability to earn an income. Brian isalso the CEOofMilitary Disability Made Easy, which is the worlds largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013. Further movement beyond that is coded differently and will receive ratings based on how severe the limitation is. There are three options you should know about: If youve been denied a shoulder pain VA rating, dont give up. Tendons are rated on how they affect the motion of the connected joint (s). You may also get cancer or other tumors in your shoulder that are a result of your military service. The VA has 3 ways to categorize this aspect when rating arthritis of the knee: slight (10%), moderate (20%), or severe (30%) under Diagnostic Code 5257. Strain and disabilities to the shoulders are common during deployment, training, and combat. For example, if you sustained a blow to the shoulder joint in the military that weakened the infraspinatus. CCK Recognized for Donations to American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial, CCK Successfully Argues for a Precedential Decision About Protected Work Environment, A Day in the Life of a Paralegal (Claims Advocate) at CCK. These cookies collect information about how you use our website. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call with an experienced Team Member. Dear Veteran, Heres the brutal truth about VA disability claims: According to our data, 8/10 (80%) of veterans reading this message right now are underrated by the VA. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. To 45, it is rated 10%, and anything 60 or more is rated 0%. Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. However, if your arthritis is bad enough that you arecompletely bedridden, youll be eligible for a 100 percent disability rating. These receive a code of 5203. Some vets dont realize how their bodies may experience some form of atrophy through active duty due to unknown injuries or dislocations. Your military records are important. You may be owed compensation. All of the criteria include severe, moderately severe, moderate, or slight and corresponds to a disability rating ranging from 0 to 40 percent. Shoulder separations are coded separately from shoulder dislocations. It will be rated the minimum 10% unless there is limited motion that qualifies for a higher rating. We have updated our Privacy Policy. Specifically, if there is weakness and severe pain with motion, then it is rated 60 percent for the dominant arm and 50 percent for the non-dominant arm. Many veterans leave the service with shoulder problems. Once a dislocation happens, it can cause long-term weakness in your shoulder. In order for the VA to determine your disability rating, they have to assess both the nature and severity of your injury or condition. A statement from your treating physician that states that the tear was caused by your time in the service (known as a medical nexus). His frustration with the8-step VA disability claims processled him to createVA Claims Insider,which provides U.S. military veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned for successfully submitting or re-submitting a winning VA disability compensation claim. Specifically, the VA examines ranges of motion for the cervical spine, or the neck and upper back, and the thoracolumbar spine or lower back. To prove service connection, a veteran must satisfy three basic criteria. Applying for VA benefits years after service 1. disability that limits your range of motion, you are entitled to disability compensation. As with most medical conditions,. These claims can be tricky to navigate, but they are cru. 5301 Group I. The most common is called direct service connection. The VA may use several ratings schedules in combination when rating rotator cuff injuries. This could be something like a shoulder dislocation that occurred during a training exercise. Specifically, if the entire arm is amputated from the shoulder joint down, including the scapula, clavicle, and/or ribs, it is rated 100 percent regardless of whether it is the dominant or non-dominant arm (Diagnostic Code 5120). Yes. The code also takes into account whether the dominant or non-dominant side is affected. Extrinsic muscles of shoulder girdle: (1) Trapezius; (2) levator scapulae; (3) serratus magnus, 5302 Group II. What Veterans Need to Know About Osteoarthritis? Injuries to the shoulder and arm commonly occur while performing both combat and non-combat duties during service. There are also a range of other diseases, injuries, and conditions that can impact your shoulder function. The exam aims to gather more information about your shoulder condition and how it affects your daily life. If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability that limits your range of motion, you are entitled to disability compensation. A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide, How Chronic Pain Affects Your Mental Health. Sometimes, rotator cuff tears might have been caused by a blow, such as a fellow service member running into the shoulder. We can help you apply for disability benefits or appeal a denied application. The VA has created a schedule for classifying and evaluating different conditions and injuries called the VASRD (Veteran Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities). 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. we represent clients nationwide. Knee conditions are fairly common for U.S. veterans. Why Hire CCK for Your VA Disability Appeal? Sometimes, the VA does not accurately assess a Veterans condition, which can lead to a wrongful denial of a claim. Limited knee flexion. They may also be used to keep track of what [products, video, links, etc.] Copyright 2023 Hill & Ponton, P.A.. All Rights Reserved. Thanks, Woods and Woods please keep up what you do in helping disabled veterans like myself. joint dislocation. If your musculoskeletal condition inhibits your range of motion significantly, you are more likely to receive a higher disability rating from the VA. According to Title 38, for a minor shoulder that can raise between 25 and 90 degrees is 20% disability. Shoulder issues can be extremely debilitating, making it difficult to perform even basic tasks. This is different from the normal wear and tear of spinal discs. Limitation of extension for the knee is rated under diagnostic code 5261. Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? In some cases though, such as the case of a right shoulder impingement syndrome, it may rate higher. Your clavicle can also dislocate from your scapula at your acromioclavicular joint. Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? To file for disability, youll need to submit your documentation to the RO where it will be reviewed. You DESERVE a HIGHER VA rating.WE CAN HELP. Neck disabilities are usually rated on the neck's range of motion. When these muscles are overused or subjected to undue force, the tendons may tear from the stress. Intrinsic muscles of shoulder girdle: (1) Pectoralis major I (clavicular); (2) deltoid, 5304 Group IV. Hill & Ponton P.A. Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 If you had your shoulder dislocated anytime during your active duty, make a note of it and tell us when you call. Is range of motion the only thing VA considers or do they actually look at what you can and cannot do for daily living purposes? 21-0960M-12. VA officials will attempt to corroborate as many details as possible before determining the next steps. Veterans should provide copies of medical records detailing symptoms, treatment, and results. The C&P examiner will then write a report about their findings and send it to the VA regional office. The strain of military service can lead to wear and tear on the spine, not to mention the risk of traumatic injuries in training or combat. They stretch and contract during movement. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The percent ratings that relate to rotator cuff injuries look as follows: The VA may also use 38 CFR 4.73 (Schedule of Ratings Muscle Injuries) when rating rotator cuff injuries. Date, circumstances of onset, and course since onset. you viewed to avoid repetition. You can file one of three options or file a new claim. After the exam, the examiner will use the findings to issue an opinion, which will either be favorable or unfavorable. 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. This refers to the range of motion a person has when their knee is moving towards the body. Since that time, we have provided compassionate if you didnt have any more shoulder problems until after you were discharged, they could be linked to that time your shoulder was dislocated. Camp Lejeune Lawsuit. C&P examiners are instructed to ask about both repetitive motion and flare-ups for musculoskeletal conditions. Rotator cuff tears can severely limit a persons range of motion, which may qualify them for disability benefits based on their inability to work. SECTION IV - INITIAL RANGE OF MOTION (ROM) MEASUREMENTS. You can struggle with aches and pains of varying severity throughout any given week, and your condition can even improve or worsen throughout the day. For instance, if you can still shrug your shoulder but not move your arm, youll get a different rating than if you could not move your shoulder at all. For a free consultation, call us at 1-877-526-3457. Other causes of restricted range of motion include: inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the joint, or joint swelling. Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 Shoulders are incredibly complex, composed of bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. All of the criteria include severe, moderately severe, moderate, or slight and corresponds to a disability rating ranging from 0 to 40 percent. Bursitis is defined as inflammation and swelling of a fluid-filled sac called the bursae; typically this leads to thickening and pain in the area. Or, it could be something like shoulder impingement that was caused by repetitive motions you were doing during your service. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. This may be achieved by having one serious condition that is rated at least 60% or more, though will more likely be the result of having several conditions related to the service. Providing Training For Those Who Represent Americas Veterans and Their Dependents Since 1993. 4 years + 1 604 Capital Orthopedic jobs available on Indeed Orthopaedic care provided at office locations and . Attorney Gang is frequently in the news with commentary on issues affecting veterans. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am so glad I was referred to Woods and Woods as they have been there for me to fight my case with the VA. All I have ever gotten from the VA are blanket denials on virtually all my claims. 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.