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Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities. Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Tuesday & Wednesday at 7AM Central.
Take control of your medical evidence related to your benefits and visit https://podcast.prestigeveteranmctx.info/veteran/ for more information and to connect directly with us!
Hey, guys. It's Leah V from Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting. I'm a US army veteran, physician assistant, and former compensation and pension examiner. So today, I'm gonna come on and discuss restless leg syndrome and how that can be related to VA disability. So I'm not sure if you guys knew, but veterans with restless leg syndrome, also known as RLS or referred to as RLS, can qualify for VA disability benefits.
Leah Bucholz:RLS is not just trouble sleeping. It's a neurologic condition that can seriously affect your rest, mental health, and daily functioning. So in today's video, I'm gonna break down what restless leg syndrome is, how the VA rates it, what the medical research says, and how secondary service connections can apply kind of both directions, like what can cause restless leg syndrome and what can be caused by restless leg syndrome for those of you that may already be rated for it. And then also go over some resources that can help you if you're a veteran dealing with this condition. So let's just start off by talking about trying to understand what RLS is.
Leah Bucholz:So restless leg syndrome is a neurologic disorder that causes an irresistible urge to move your legs usually in the evenings or at night. For veteran symptoms, often include things like unpleasant sensation in the legs described as clawing, tingling, or aching, sleep disruption from the constant need to move, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating during the day. RLS isn't just a sleep problem. It can be linked to underlying issues like iron deficiency. That is a huge one that should always be looked up in the workup if you're suffering from these symptoms, nerve damage, medication side effects, or other chronic conditions.
Leah Bucholz:And for many veterans, this creates a cycle of poor sleep, worsening mental health, and more difficulty managing your daily life. So what does the literature say? So let's look at what some of the research says about restless leg syndrome. Studies show that RLS is more common among veterans compared to the general population, especially those with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or chronic pain conditions. A 2021 study in sleep medicine reviews found that people with RLS were twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety.
Leah Bucholz:Other research points to a strong overlap between RLS and conditions like peripheral neuropathy and chronic kidney disease. Importantly, poor sleep from RLS has been linked to a higher risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline. So for veterans, a combination of service related injuries, stress, and disrupted sleep patterns may increase both the likelihood and severity of RLS. All of this underscores why VA recognizes it as a legitimate condition for disability consideration or disability purposes. So let's just jump right into VA disability and RLS.
Leah Bucholz:So how does VA rate restless leg syndrome? So it's generally rated it doesn't really have its own code that's always subject to change, but it's usually rated analogously under a different neurologic condition or peripheral nerve disorder or neuritis. So here's how that typically breaks down. So at the twenty percent level, well, at the ten percent level, it's gonna be considered mild. At the twenty percent, it will be moderate with frequent symptoms that can disrupt sleep, but allow some daily functioning.
Leah Bucholz:Forty percent is gonna be moderately severe, and sixty percent is severe. So that's a really subjective type of of report. Sometimes some of these, you know, different nerve disabilities can be very subjective based upon your symptoms and based upon what the examiner thinks, but there are some objective findings that you that that we can look at to see if you're having a lot of dysfunction related to the nerve as well. So your rating really is gonna depend on the severity of the symptoms and how much they impede your daily activities and rest and functioning. So let's talk about secondary service connection.
Leah Bucholz:So secondary service connections are a key way veterans can be can obtain VA benefits for restless legs. So when we talk about primary service connection, that would be if maybe you were diagnosed in service with restless leg syndrome or developed it directly due to some kind of exposure that you had in service. So, RLS can be caused or worsened by other service connected conditions, you know, leading to a secondary service connection such as peripheral neuropathy from diabetes or agent orange exposure. Maybe you have a spinal injury or nerve damage from service related trauma, chronic kidney disease, which is also a known risk factor. PTSD and sleep disorders, I see this one most frequently.
Leah Bucholz:A lot of veterans with mental health disorders, can cause or worsen RLS. On the flip side, restless leg syndrome can also lead to other secondary conditions like insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression, or anxiety, which also can be compensable. So what are some challenges faced by veterans with restless leg syndrome? So living with restless leg syndrome poses unique challenges to veterans. Many struggle with late night symptoms that disrupt rest leading to poor performance during the day.
Leah Bucholz:This can make it harder to hold a job, manage relationships, or even keep up with treatment plans. RLS is also underdiagnosed. Right? So you guys a lot of people don't even know what it is, or a lot of people just see it maybe you're not even suffering from symptoms, but it comes up when you have a sleep study for sleep apnea. It's noted that you have, periodic limb movement disorder or something like this.
Leah Bucholz:Better many veterans have dealt with years of sleep disruption before getting a proper diagnosis. And since it's often overlaps with PTSD, neuropathy, or chronic pain, it can be hard to untangle what's causing which symptoms. And that makes documentation and medical support all the more important for those veterans that are suffering from this and and trying to obtain disability. So if you're think about thinking about filing a claim for VA disability for restless leg syndrome, here are some important considerations. So do you have a medical diagnosis?
Leah Bucholz:That's probably gonna be important from your treating doctor or a doctor that, has evaluated you that they've confirmed that you have the condition. And then you've gotta be able to show that there's a relationship to your service. So you've gotta be able to show that your restless leg syndrome either started on active duty or it was made worse by another service connected disability or caused by another service connected disability. So you're probably gonna if you file a claim for that, and VA thinks there's enough evidence to, get an exam. They're gonna send you to a C and P exam where a medical professional is going to give an opinion as to that relationship so that an adjudicator, like a rater or or, a judge or whoever can look at your case to determine whether that service connected.
Leah Bucholz:So it's important for you as a veteran to document your symptoms, especially how they affect your sleep, mood, and daily functioning. If you've got other things caused by the restless leg, you might wanna list those secondary conditions, like if you are if you're experiencing insomnia because of this, depression, or neuropathy, because, again, those can be compensable as well. So the stronger your medical evidence, the more support you might have for your case. So let's talk about some resources for veterans. So if you're a veteran struggling with restless leg syndrome, here are some resources.
Leah Bucholz:So VA neurology and sleep clinics for diagnosis and treatment. Your primary care manager may also be able to diagnose this. Veteran service organizations like DAV, VFW, or American Legion can help you with your claims. Restless Leg Syndrome Foundation, which provides patient education and support groups are all all helpful as well. The Veterans Crisis Line is at 988 and then press 1 if restless leg syndrome and sleep problems are contributing to your mental health struggles.
Leah Bucholz:So restless leg syndrome can feel invisible, but the impact is very real. Veterans dealing with restless leg syndrome should know that you may qualify for VA disability benefits, especially if your condition is tied to service or leads to other health problems. If this video was helpful, please like and subscribe and share it with another veteran who might need this information. And as always, thank you for watching, and I will see you guys next time. Alright.
Leah Bucholz:Bye.