VA Ratings and Fibromyalgia
December 12, 2020
Fibromyalgia is a painful condition that affects roughly four million Americans. Its hallmark symptom is widespread pain and tenderness throughout the body in the muscles, tendons, and soft tissues. Much remains unknown about the condition, but it is debilitating for those who suffer from it.
In addition to the general pain in soft tissues, fibromyalgia causes tender points throughout the body which will hurt when pressure is applied. These include the back of the head, between the shoulder blades, top of shoulders, front sides of the neck, upper chest, outer elbows, upper hips, sides of hips, and inner knees.
Veterans can receive a VA disability rating for fibromyalgia under certain circumstances without having to prove a service connection. Gulf War-era veterans who served in the Southwest Asia Theater can get a presumptive disability rating for fibromyalgia if they have suffered from fibromyalgia symptoms for six months or more. The condition must have first emerged while on active duty in one of the countries (or the airspace above and water around) in Southwest Asia up to December 31, 2016.
The VA does require a diagnosis from a rheumatologist to be rated. This can be difficult, as fibromyalgia often mimics other conditions, like Lyme disease, arthritis, and lupus. Often, these other conditions must be ruled out before a diagnosis of fibromyalgia will be established.
The doctor will test the tender points during the exam too; if 11 of the 18 most common points are tender and there has been widespread pain for at least three months a fibromyalgia diagnosis may be given. Furthermore, fibromyalgia pain must affect the left and right sides of the body, above and below the waist to be considered widespread.
A Fibromyalgia VA rating can get a 10, 20, or 40 percent. For a 10 percent disability rating, the veteran must take daily medication to manage symptoms. For the 20 percent disability rating, the veteran must experience episodic symptoms, made worse by environmental or emotional stress or by overexertion, more than one-third of the time. For the 40 percent rating, the highest possible, the veteran must suffer from symptoms constantly or nearly constantly and not improve with therapy.
If you or a loved one suffer from fibromyalgia which could be connected to time in the military, the VA disability attorneys at Legal Help for Veterans can help. Contact them at 1.800.693.4800 to schedule your free consultation.