Can ankylosing spondylitis be service connected ?

PFC John Bosanko — Fri, 31 May 2019 04:06:03 -0400

I have ankylosing spondylitis and was diagnosed with it back in the 80s I was in the army in 79 can I claim it as service connected and how would I go about it ?

Response by SSG Brian G. made May 31 at 2019 4:32 AM

SSG Brian G. — Fri, 31 May 2019 04:32:30 -0400

You could try? Have to pull your med records and see if there is any indication of it while you served. If not as it is a mostly somewhat hereditary condition with no known cause, linking it to being service related might be an uphill climb. A trip to the VA with your Medical records would be the first step and they would assess you from that point.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made May 31 at 2019 5:02 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Fri, 31 May 2019 05:02:53 -0400

Give it a try

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made May 31 at 2019 6:24 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Fri, 31 May 2019 06:24:22 -0400

You can contact you local VA and request forms for submitting a claim. The diseas you are referring to may not be covered as it’s causes are rooted to genetics. Having said that, there is no difinative science that states that as absolute. If the VA’s research tells them there is a possibility that your service contributed to its advancement then there is a possibility. Never hurts to try. Thank you for your service.

Response by Sgt Douglas Berger made May 31 at 2019 9:29 AM

Sgt Douglas Berger — Fri, 31 May 2019 09:29:36 -0400

Yes, it can be service connected. If you decide to apply let me suggest calling the national # [login to see] . They will hold the date while you gather evidence for 12 months. Also study citations which will give you an idea of what you need to do. Here is an example of one_ Citation Nr: 0518317 _ a google search will pull it up. Good luck, it can be quick or take years..

Semper Fi

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2019 10:58 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 May 2019 10:58:46 -0400

Yes.
http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/thespine.html

Military Disablity ratings for Spine conditions

Learn how the VASRD rates conditions of the Spine for Military Disability compensation.

Response by SFC Michael D. made May 31 at 2019 11:27 AM

SFC Michael D. — Fri, 31 May 2019 11:27:48 -0400

Go to https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage and start a claim. They will send you to a doctor to have it evaluated. It's never to late to claim. It's a pretty user friendly site.

Home - VA/DoD eBenefits

To restart your session, Click here or click the Login button in the top right corner of the Home page and you will be redirected to the DSLogon login page.

Response by SGT Andrew Register made May 31 at 2019 11:59 AM

SGT Andrew Register — Fri, 31 May 2019 11:59:15 -0400

Not in my experience, since it is a degenerative condition.
If you can prove that it was made worse either during your service period OR by a different service-related condition after leaving service, you’d gave a better shot.
But that would be difficult to prove for most people.