Inflammation of the middle arm nerve roots, which may cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the forearm and hand.
Medical records that document how much movement and strength you have in the affected arm are central to this rating. A VA or private examination that specifically tests your ability to adduct, abduct, and rotate the arm, flex the elbow, and extend the wrist will show whether loss is mild, moderate, severe, or complete. Range-of-motion measurements, grip and strength testing, and nerve conduction or electromyography studies can all help establish the degree of involvement.
If your symptoms are purely sensory — such as numbness, tingling, or pain without measurable motor loss — records or exam findings that confirm the sensory-only nature of your condition are relevant, because the regulation limits purely sensory involvement to the mild or moderate rating levels. Statements from you or people who know you that describe how weakness or sensory changes affect tasks at work or in daily life, such as difficulty lifting or gripping objects, can help show the functional impact that separates one rating level from another.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
