Radiculopathy Secondary to a Back Condition

The recognized connection, the three-legged evidence standard, and the free routes to the medical opinion.

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A secondary claim is a condition caused or worsened by one the VA has already service-connected. The causation fight is already half-won — the VA agreed your a back condition came from service; the question is only whether it caused the radiculopathy. That's a medical question with a recognized answer.

The connection

This one is barely a 'secondary' at all — it is the same injury reaching further. A compromised disc or narrowed spinal canal compresses the nerve roots, sending pain, numbness, or weakness down a limb. The VA rates radiculopathy SEPARATELY from the spine, per extremity — which is exactly why it is the most commonly missed money on any back claim.

How the VA rates radiculopathy

Rated SEPARATELY PER EXTREMITY. Sciatic: mild 10% · moderate 20% · moderately severe 40%. Two legs = two separate ratings.

Full criteria and evidence guide: VA rating for nerve pain / numbness.

What the claim needs — the three legs

  1. The anchor: service connection for the a back condition (see how that condition is rated). Not connected yet? File it first — a secondary claim needs something to attach to.
  2. A current diagnosis of radiculopathy — the VA rates diagnosed conditions, not symptoms.
  3. The medical link. An opinion stating it is "at least as likely as not" that the a back condition caused or aggravated the radiculopathy. The VA's own C&P examiner supplies this free in most cases; your own doctor can too. A paid independent opinion is the last resort, not the first move.
Honesty note: nothing here is a promise of any rating — the VA decides every claim on its own evidence. What this page describes is a recognized medical pathway and the evidence standard that applies to it. Describe your real symptoms, including your worst days, accurately — never more, never less.

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