Nexus letter
Radiculopathy
Nerve pain radiating from a service-connected spine condition — a common secondary claim.
$895 for this condition · $149 to start
What this claim turns on
Radiculopathy is almost always claimed as secondary to a spine condition, and it is one of the more straightforward secondary opinions to support when the evidence is there: imaging showing nerve root compression at a level that matches your symptom distribution, and ideally an EMG or nerve conduction study confirming it. Radiculopathy is rated separately from the underlying spine condition and per affected extremity, so a well-supported opinion here can matter considerably.
Commonly claimed as secondary to
If one of these is already service connected, this condition may be claimable as secondary to it. Your intake asks which pathway applies.
Records to have ready
Your physician needs these to form an opinion. Gathering them before you start is the single biggest thing you can do to move your case quickly.
- DD-214 or other separation document
- Service treatment records covering your time in service
- Current VA or private treatment records showing a diagnosis
- Any VA rating decision or denial letter you have received
- Spine imaging showing nerve root involvement
- EMG or nerve conduction study, if you have had one
- Rating decision for the underlying spine condition
Missing something? Start anyway and tell us in the intake. Sometimes a gap changes the approach rather than stopping the claim. How to request your records.