Rotator Cuff Injuries and VA Disability | All You Need To Know

Leah  breaks down everything veterans need to know about rotator cuff injuries and how they relate to VA disability claims. As a U.S. Army veteran and former C\&P examiner, she explains the causes, symptoms, and medical evidence needed to support a claim, while also walking viewers through how the VA rates these shoulder conditions under diagnostic codes 5200–5203. With real data, expert insights, and actionable tips—like seeking a nexus letter and understanding the role of range-of-motion testing—Leah offers a clear, veteran-friendly guide to navigating the claims process with confidence.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey guys, it's Leah B from Prestige Veteran Medical
Consulting. I'm a US Armyveteran, physician assistant,
and former compensation andpension examiner. So today,
wanna come on and discussshoulder injuries and
specifically rotator cuffinjuries and VA disability. So a
lot of veterans have shoulderinjuries and are service
connected for shoulder injuries,and this is just super common
due to occupational stressors alot of times or secondary to

(00:28):
other service connecteddisabilities. So again, welcome
back, to our Prestige VeteranMedical Consulting podcast where
we discuss the complex world ofVA disability in a way that
makes sense and helps you getthe benefits you've earned.
Again, I'm Leah for those of youwho don't know me, and we're
gonna dive into something thataffects a lot of veterans and
how that relates to VA claims.So what is a rotator cuff

(00:51):
injury? So let's start with thebasics. The rotator cuff is a
group of four muscles andtendons that keep your shoulder
joint stable. Okay?
So it allows you to lift yourarm, rotate it, keep it steady
for just about every movement ofthe upper body, any kind of
upper body movement. So injuriesto the rotator cuff are common
among veterans, especially thosewho served in physically

(01:13):
demanding type jobs, involvingrepeated lifting. If you're an
11 guy, even supply, so overheadmovement, heavy gear. If you had
direct trauma to the jointduring training or combat, these
injuries can show up as thingslike tears, like partial or
complete tears of the rotatorcuff. You can have tendonitis.

(01:36):
You can develop impingementsyndrome. You can have other
complications after surgicalrepair if you've had surgery in
service or after service. Sowhat are some of those symptoms?
Pain, limited range of motion,weakness, decreased ability to
do basic tasks like things likelifting groceries, putting on a
shirt, reaching overhead. So Ialways like to go over some

(02:01):
medical literature that we liketo use.
So some medical literature onrotator cuff injuries that may
be helpful for you or yourdoctor when looking at this, if
they wanna write you a shortmedical opinion. So these
injuries are not only common,but they're well documented in
the medical literature. So astudy in the, let me put my
notes here, a study in theAmerican Journal of Sports

(02:21):
Medicine found that shoulderinjuries are among the top five
musculoskeletal injuries inactive duty service members. And
according to the Armed ForcesHealth Surveillance Center,
there were over four hundredthousand medical visits related
to shoulder injuries across themilitary over just six years.
Okay?
So rotator cuff issues liketears and tendinopathy were

(02:43):
especially frequent and rolesrequired physical labor,
repetitive motion, or combattraining. One interesting point
from a 2021 study in theorthopedic journal of sports
medicine, military personneloften delay treatment, which
increases the risk of chronicdegeneration and long term
disability. So if you're aveteran that's dealing with

(03:03):
chronic shoulder pain, thisisn't just bad luck. There's
science and data showing thatconnection between military that
there is a connection betweenmilitary service and rotator
cuff injuries. K?
So how does this connect to yourVA disability claim? Okay? So to
get rated, you have to establisha service connection for your
rotator cuff injury. That canhappen in a few different ways.

(03:26):
Right?
So if it happened during activeduty and is documented in like
your service treatment recordsor any other records, if it
developed over time from thewear and tear of military
service, you can potentially geta direct service connection. If
it's secondary to anotherservice connected disability,
like a cervical spine issue, oran imbalance from the other

(03:47):
side, even if it wasn'tdiagnosed during service, you
might still be able to link itto your service. You just need
strong, you know, evidence,whether it's your treating
doctor saying it, the C and Pexam the C and P examiner, you
know, reviewing your bothshoulders and saying, hey, it's
my professional medical opinionthat these things are related.
Right? So let's talk about howthe VA rate rates rotator cuff

(04:10):
injuries.
So rotator cuff conditions areusually rated under diagnostic
codes 5200 and fifty two zerothree, which are covered which
cover the shoulder and arm. Sowhat are some of the factors
that VA looks at when they lookat the shoulder? So they're
gonna look at your range ofmotion, how far you can lift or
rotate your arm, pain, fatigue,weakness during use, whether

(04:31):
you've had surgery, like arotator cuff repair, or even a
shoulder replacement. If itaffects your dominant arm or
your non dominant arm, they'regonna look at these things.
Ratings can range from ten toforty percent, but in more
severe complex cases, they mayeven go higher, especially if
there's functional loss orsecondary conditions or if

(04:51):
they're impacting youremployability.
So medical evidence matters,right? So having good
documentation from your treatingdoctor, physical therapy,
whoever, your surgeons, Thatdoesn't mean you can't get
service connected for somethingif you've got a shoulder injury
and you never A lot of peoplejust don't go to the doctor,
right? But things like strengthtesting, range of motion

(05:14):
measurements can be helpful.Imaging studies can help
identify what is actually goingon in that shoulder joint,
especially if it's like an MRI.A detailed explanation of how
your shoulder condition affectsyour daily life and work, if you
keep a journal.
You can get a nexus letter.While they're never required,
they can sometimes be helpful insome cases. Again, it can be

(05:34):
something as short as yourdoctor writing why they believe
it's related to service, or youcan get a robust medical opinion
that has lots of literature. Butagain, some of that literature
we discussed earlier can beused. There's nothing wrong with
you bringing it to your doctorand seeing if they agree or
disagree.

(05:57):
Some of the best things you cando is follow-up with a VA
accredited legal professional,like a VSO or an accredited
claims agent or an attorney tohelp you if you've been denied
before. If you if it's a newclaim, VSOs are often very
helpful. You know, if you if youhave that medical evidence, you
go to the C and P exam,hopefully you'll get service
connected. There's alwaysappeals options if you get

(06:20):
denied. Again, following up withthose accredited legal
professionals are sometimes thebest options.
Va.gov also does a really goodjob of giving some instructions
on that Appeals ModernizationAct on how you can do different
types of appeals. So I hope thiswas helpful. Please drop some
comments if you guys have anyquestions or if you have any
thoughts on rotator cuffinjuries, if you've had any

(06:44):
experience with this. And asalways, thank you for watching,
and I'll talk to you guys soon.Okay.
See you.