VA Back, Knee, and Joint Claims Guide
The Complete VA Rating Guide for Back, Knee, Shoulder, and Joint Conditions
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About this book
Your knees hurt. Your back hurts. Your shoulder limits what you can do. You have X-rays, MRIs, and physical therapy records that document it. You filed a claim, and you were denied, rated lower than you expected, or you are still waiting. This guide explains how the VA actually measures musculoskeletal conditions, so you can see what your exam and your records need to show.
Inside this book
- 1Musculoskeletal Claims and the VA: Why Your Condition Is Harder to Rate Than It Should Be
- 2Back Conditions and Intervertebral Disc Syndrome: The Complete Rating Framework
- 3Knee Conditions and Lower-Extremity Functional Loss
- 4Shoulder Conditions and Upper-Extremity Disability
- 5Hip, Ankle, and Other Joint Conditions
- 6Secondary Conditions and Bilateral Factors
- 7The Inadequate C&P Examination
- 8The Degenerative and Age-Related Worsening
- 9Building Your Musculoskeletal Claim From Evidence to Decision
- 10Musculoskeletal Appeals and Rating Reductions
The book points you to its free field guide, Filing a Back, Knee, or Joint Claim (a free download, no signup).
Pairs with
Free guides and worksheets need no signup and no book. Books and workbooks are coming soon.
Workbook · Coming soonThe Back, Knee, and Joint Workbook
Free guideFiling a Back, Knee, or Joint Claim
Free guideFiling a Flat Feet (Pes Planus) Claim
Free guideFiling a Hip Claim
Free guideFiling a Plantar Fasciitis Claim
Free guideFiling a Radiculopathy or Sciatica Claim
Free guideFiling a Shoulder or Arm Claim
Free guideFiling an Ankle Claim
J. Erickson
Author, educator, former veteran service officer.
J. Erickson is a service-disabled Air Force veteran. He served as a military firefighter and as a veteran service officer, where he spent years walking veterans through the same claims process he writes about now. He holds an MBA and writes plain-language guides for veterans who want to understand the system without a translator.
Read more about the author