Military veterans may sustain injuries in the line of duty or develop degenerative conditions. Military service can cause a wide range of issues that can lead to debilitating, chronic back pain for veterans. Veterans frequently suffer from some common conditions that cause back pain. As a result, they need to know how they can prove that their condition qualifies them for VA disability benefits.
Common Back Pain Conditions That Can Support VA Disability Claims
Some of the most common examples of conditions that can lead to back pain, which may qualify a veteran for VA disability benefits if their condition has a service connection, include:
- Degenerative disc disease: A condition that causes a weakening of the outer layer of spinal discs, increasing the risk of herniated discs.
- Herniated discs: A bulging of the soft tissue inside the discs between vertebrate, which can compress nerve bundles that lead away from the spinal cord, causing pain, numbness, weakness, or limited mobility.
- Lumbosacral strain: A recurring injury caused by overexertion or improper lifting of heavy items.
- Spinal stenosis: A condition marked by a narrowing of the spinal canal, compressing the nerve bundles as they exit the spinal column.
- Sciatica: A condition in which pain radiates from the lower back into the buttocks and down through one or both legs, often occurring as a secondary condition from a lower back injury that compresses or inflames the sciatic nerve.
VA Disability Ratings for Back Conditions
The VA rates disabilities resulting from back pain under the criteria established in the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). Under the VASRD, claims reviewers will categorize a veteran’s service-connected condition into a coded condition. Each coded condition has specific criteria that determine its disability rating. Depending on a veteran’s specific condition, the VA may rate disability resulting from back pain based on factors such as range of motion, loss of function, or severity of impairment to daily or professional life.
Back pain may result from two or more separate service-connected conditions. Veterans with two or more conditions will receive a combined disability rating, which uses a formula to factor in the separate disability rating for each condition into a combined rating.
How to Prove a VA Disability Claim for Back Pain
Veterans will need to prove specific elements to succeed in a VA disability benefits claim for back pain. These elements include:
- An established medical diagnosis: A veteran must have medical documentation that establishes a diagnosis for one or more conditions that cause the veteran’s back pain.
- One or more in-service events or injuries: Veterans must provide evidence, including service records or buddy statements, to document events, accidents, or injuries that occur during military service.
- Nexus: A veteran must also provide evidence to establish a connection between the incidents, accidents, or injuries in their military service and their diagnosed medical condition.
- Continuity of symptoms: Veterans will also need to provide medical evidence showing ongoing or increasing symptoms from their military service to the present day.
- Severity of symptoms: A veteran must provide evidence, such as medical records, results from a compensation & pension exam, doctor’s letters, and buddy statements, to describe the severity of symptoms from back pain to determine the disability rating.
Contact Our VA Disability Law Firm Today
Do you suffer from back pain from an injury or condition caused by your military service? If so, you may qualify for disability benefits from the VA. Contact Kinman Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation with our VA disability benefits attorneys to learn more about the common types of back pain that may qualify you for VA disability compensation and to discuss how our firm can help you prepare and pursue a compelling benefits claim.
