Paralysis affecting the upper arm nerve group that controls shoulder and upper arm movement.
Medical records and examination findings are the most direct evidence for this condition. For a complete rating, records showing total or near-total loss of shoulder and elbow movement — with preserved hand and wrist function — would reflect the criteria. Range-of-motion measurements, muscle strength testing, and nerve conduction or electromyography studies can document how much function has been lost.
For incomplete paralysis, the same types of exam findings apply, but the degree of loss matters. Records showing how far you can raise your arm, whether you can flex or extend the elbow against resistance, and how much strength remains help separate mild, moderate, and severe levels. If involvement is purely sensory, exam findings confirming the absence of motor deficits are relevant, since the regulation limits those cases to mild or moderate ratings at most.
Statements from you or people who see you daily — describing difficulty lifting, reaching, or performing tasks that require shoulder or elbow movement — can illustrate how the nerve damage affects your work and daily activities, and can help connect documented findings to the level of functional loss.
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.
