WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your radiculopathy (also called radiculopathy, pinched nerve, nerve root compression, radiating pain), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected radiculopathy commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (radiculopathy) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Ongoing nerve compression can cause the muscles it supplies to weaken and shrink over time, which increases the severity rating.
What you'd need: Documented motor weakness or measured atrophy on exam tied to the service-connected radiculopathy.
Chronic radiating pain and functional loss can lead to depression or anxiety.
What you'd need: A mental health diagnosis and a nexus opinion linking the mood disorder to the chronic nerve pain.
Weakness, numbness, or foot drop from radiculopathy raises the risk of falls and resulting joint injuries.
What you'd need: Documentation of falls due to the nerve condition and a diagnosis of the resulting injury linked by opinion to the radiculopathy.