Veterans with lumbar strain or back pain can avail of up to $3621.95 from the VA, according to their official rating system.
Veterans need to go through many challenges over the years for their military service, and old age catches up with them with various physical pain and disabilities in their retirement. Lumber strain or pain is a prevalent condition among them. From lying down to walking with ease, it becomes very challenging, which makes daily life very difficult.
Leaving these conditions unchecked or without proper medical attention can cause chronic pain, which could make a person’s life a lot worse. And this pain could become irreversible.
However, veterans can avail of some financial aid from the VA for their conditions. That’s why the VA has a rating system for different physical disabilities, including lumbar strain. Today, we will discuss those ratings and the conditions that make those ratings eligible.
Lumbar Strain
An injury to the lower back is called a lumbar strain. It can make your muscles and tissues swollen. As a result, you often get muscle spasms, and your tendons get damaged.
You must seek medical help if you have lumbar strain. Here are some symptoms to identify if you have lumbar strain –
- Pain in the lower back
- Stiffness in the muscles of the lower back, which restricts the range of motion. This is known as Ankylosis in medical terms
- Spasms in the lower back
- Not being able to stand up straight with a proper posture
The VA rating for Lumbar Strain
The VA rates a veteran’s lumbar strain on the mobility, range of motion, and the level of pain they go through. The VA ratings for lumbar strain are –
- 10% Rating: The VA gives this rating to a veteran when their thoracolumbar spine has the ability of forward flexion between 60 and 85 degrees. And when it can flex between 120 and 235 degrees without creating an abnormal gait.
- 20% Rating: The VA gives this rating to a veteran when their thoracolumbar spine can flex forward between 30 and 60 degrees or when they have muscle spasms that lead to the contour of the spine.
- 40% Rating: This rating is given to veterans with favorable ankylosis (stiffening of the muscles that obstruct range of motion) of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- 50% Rating: This rating is given when a veteran has unfavorable ankylosis in their entire thoracolumbar spine.
- 100% Rating: This rating is given for a lumbosacral strain with an unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine. The situation of this ankylosis is when the muscle in the lumbar region gets so stiffened up that a person cannot even stand up straight.
Conclusion
If you are a veteran with lumbar strain or back pain problems, then you need some help from experts in this regard to get the maximum compensation you can get for your situation. This is where the people from VA Disability Coach can help you. Contact us today so you can live the rest of your days standing up straight.