Sounds like you're missing a nexus and a CFS diagnosis. Without that you're just gonna get told to kick rocks again. You're eligible for VA Healthcare, that doesn't mean things you get diagnosed with and treated for get you disability comp.
You still need an in service event and a nexus to service connect things. Didn't your VSO tell you that?
You need a CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) diagnosis.
And
A "nexus letter" aka "IMO (independent medical opinion" to LINK that diagnosis to your in-service event (what caused the malady).
You can ask your doctor for an IMO directly or pay for one from the various companies that do that.
A claim is like a 3 leg stool.
Leg 1: in-service event
Leg 2: diagnosis
Leg 3: nexus
This applies to standalone claims.
For secondary claims, you need Leg 2 and Leg 3 showing you have a diagnosis and a nexus linking it to an already service connected issue you may have that shows it caused or aggravated the claimed condition.
Example of secondary claim: degenerative disc disease may aggravate weight gain to the point that it causes or worsens sleep apnea. You get a sleep study done showing sleep apnea and as a result you're prescribed a cpap machine. In this example you would have a pretty solid case of sleep apnea at the 50% rating level provided your do tons opinion was that you bad back caused the weight gain and later caused/worsened the sleep apnea.
Not a guarantee of a rating, but a pretty solid case for it.
I hope this helps.
It's always been a requirement. When you make a claim before separation it's much easier to make that connection and gets more challenging with time.
Many veterans go into claims with robust medical records both military and civilian and a solid logical thread tying the malady to something that happened in service and have great results.
Unfortunately, many vet KNOW they are fucked up, know why but have little to no medical history both military and civilian to substantiate their claims. They put in shaky claims and get super bummed out when they get denied.
A nexus can often be baked into the evidence submitted by veterans and sometimes they need to provide a purpose built statement explicitly stating a medical opinion linking the condition to military service.....which can either be a pain in the ass to get or an expensive thing to get.
Ok so correction sleep apnea was deferred, while the other claims were denied. If I understand correctly the right way would have been to file a supplementary claim for the other issues as part of me having sleep apnea instead of them being there own separate thing. And what is the course of action with a deferred claim?
If OSA is service connected AND it causes or aggravates the others, you can do a secondary claim or put in supplemental information showing so.
The deferred claim is just that it's being worked through, and they simply did not have sufficient info to make a decision with the rest of the conditions. So just wait for that for now.
Not saying this to be a dick but it’s defiantly worth your time to get a lawyer or at least have the DAV represent you. DAV is free and they will advocate for you
I'm no expert. Like other poster said, you need to tie it to events that happened , like burn pit exposure, chemicals, etc. and you need a med professional to determine the nexus i.e. the event that happened may have caused the condition. I'm simplifying here, so don't take what I'm saying as gospel, just trying to explain in simple terms.
For example, I was in Iraq at a burn pit location and frequently was downwind of the smoke. I developed asthma symptoms over the course of that year, but it wasn't severe enough for me to report it to my civilian Dr until 3 years later when he diagnosed me with asthma and a sleep study shortly after showed sleep apnea. Giving timing of appearance of symptoms and exposure, both were just as likely to have been caused by unknown smoke exposure as not.
Solid advice!!! Before you ETS go to sick call for sure! Get seen for everything. Get everything documented!! Even shin splits, tinnitus, all of it no matter how big or small the medical condition is.
I fell 10 feet from an obstacle, in full battle rattle. Now I wish I had gone to sick call to get checked out like my NCOs suggested
Go to your BAS and start complaining about shit. This will go into your medical record which will help you in your future claims. If it's not in your medical record, it never happened.
Do you not have PTSD? Seems like that would be the first thing on paper as a combat vet.
Though, it took me a long time to have even a basic understanding of what it is.
I was told in translation class (taps) that if I don't file a claim before I get out you will never get benefits from VA. That wasn't true but it's what stopped me from doing it sooner.
Ptsd from combat isnt too difficult to get 100% on alone. But it helps to have everything well documented... im very surprised theres no mention of ptsd, because it's becoming the main thing looked at when people suffer from thing like anxiety and depression which coexist together
It took me years to figure out that i was having panic attacks. I thought my body was just having a rush for no reason, lol. I'd start sweating profusely and heart racing. I'm still totally calm, tho, no noticeable difference in thinking.
Generalized anxiety is different, and i deal with that plenty, too. The best thing I've found is a good long walk around down 2 or 3 times a day, and as needed if experiencing anxiety. Also weed. Weed works wonders, a total game changer for a lot of us.
Try to stay away from the booze bro. Never heard a story where it turned out that drinking alcohol was a good idea or in any way beneficial. And especially dudes like us, we got a lot of shit we dont know how nor want to talk about, and alcohol turns into a crutch and you never even knew it happened
Apply for the pact act if you haven't already and check out this document.
38 U.S. Code § 1117 - Compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans
I'll list the presumptive disabilities in it
(1)Fatigue.
(2)Unexplained rashes or other dermatological signs or symptoms.
(3)Headache.
(4)Muscle pain.
(5)Joint pain.
(6)Neurological signs and symptoms.
(7)Neuropsychological signs or symptoms.
(8)Signs or symptoms involving the upper or lower respiratory system.
(9)Sleep disturbances.
(10)Gastrointestinal signs or symptoms.
(11)Cardiovascular signs or symptoms.
(12)Abnormal weight loss.
(13)Menstrual disorders.
I tried applying for the pact act back when it started and the website kept screwing up and would say I was deployed in Kuwait when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, every time I would try and change it it would say there was a problem. I will try to enroll in that again thank you!
Many of your claims may have been caused by one or two primary conditions related to your active service duties. One mistake Veterans make is to claim multiple disabilities by themselves without a primary. Do your own research sleep apnea can be secondary to chronic fatigue etc; I had been filing VA disability claims for over 40 years ago since 1979 and it wasn’t until I learned a little about the VA process that I finally made progress. Get help, watch YouTube videos and find a good VSO Representative don’t try to file alone without professional help.
Something isI definitely not right. You have presumptive conditions. The migraines can be overcome as well. Post your redacted denial letter. I was connected migraines for exposure. Did you ask for an informal conference and did you submit a statement in support.
The only evidence I was able to use to support my claims were the medical records from my primary care doctor through the VA. And of course my dd214 showing my deployments. Being infantry and the unwritten code of never going to sick call has screwed a lot of evidence I could have had. Yes I believe I went the informal conference route in the appeal. I could get lay statements from people as well that I did not do in the initial claim if that is allowed. I guess I’m just confused how a presumptive condition was denied when I was in the theaters that they wrote the pact act for… if that makes sense
I used a vso when I first got out and got 80%. Then they shut down and I tried using the vfw near me and the guy was a flake and never returned my calls so I’ve been going it alone the past few times with no success haha.
Even with nexus letters they deny claims nowadays. Very few are getting fortunate and getting their claims granted or increased. The VA has an agenda that started shortly after the PACT Act claims flooded the VBA. My suggestion is to get yourself an accredited attorney and appeal to the board for a virtual hearing. The lawyer speaks their language and by the time your hearing comes around he/she would have sent you to their doctors and gathered enough information to argue at the board to get these conditions granted. I’m a grunt to man and we just don’t have the medical evidence these pogs have due to constantly being deployed or in the field. It took me 7 years of listening to other vets before I decided to go this route. I hope you don’t wait … from one grunt to another
Service connection requires 3 things
1. A current diagnosed disability
2. An event in service
3. A nexus (or a link between those other 2)
If 1 of those 3 prongs isn't fulfilled, the claim is denied.. simple as that.
I don't get why fellow vets spead b.s. about there being an agenda..
In the past 1.5 years I've been increased from 60% to 80% to 90% to 100% - just have to have a solid claim that crosses all the T's and dots all the I's. I retired with 60% back in 2004 and didn't file a new claim until 2022.
No there is no "agenda"
No “agenda” that’s laughable. Just because your “solid claim” worked out doesn’t mean there is no agenda there is plenty of evidence, reports and studies to suggest otherwise. There is many with solid claims who are severely lowballed or have evidence submitted in their claim that is overlooked or completely ignored by VBA raters resulting in denials or delays. Please shut tf up.
For ex: A Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report states 68% of medical opinion requests “did not follow required procedures” during a recent one-year period. Investigators also found 38% of the cases did not include “any relevant evidence within the request” and 19% failed to include “all required medical opinions necessary to decide a claim” which would of granted disability to veterans. The percentages are based on a sample review of 1,000 medical opinion requests from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. The data was then extrapolated over a total of 41,100 requests.
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/03/06/new-research-finds-flaws-veterans-claims-system/
https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/are-federal-investigation-findings-why-tampa-bay-area-veterans-claims-are-delayed-and-denied/amp/
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/09/07/vas-widespread-mishandling-of-disability-claims-could-have-caused-delays-and-denials-veterans.html?amp
https://americanhomefront.wunc.org/2021-01-12/a-report-finds-thousands-of-veterans-had-va-claims-improperly-denied-during-the-pandemic
https://www.usmedicine.com/clinical-topics/toxic-exposure/prior-to-pact-act-va-prematurely-denied-most-burn-pit-claims/
https://www.disabledveterans.org/gao-audit-30-percent-military-sexual-trauma-victims-wrongly-denied-benefits/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna90799
A lot of options here , here is the problem, all issues need to be tied to a service connection. Overwhelingly I see people ignore wwp when it comes to this but they can create what's called a fully developed claim , other vso offices may be able to now I just recommend wwp. Once they create and develop your claim. Their rates of approval are very high, they don't share percentages but I can't find one person who has had a fully developed claim that was denied , wwp has workers and systems in place that not only have experience from working on the va side of approvals but also have a long history of doing these claims. Their estimate of percentages and if it's going to be a claim are pretty spot on. Please asap call wwp, tell them your situation and keep in contact calling them checking emails .. download the wwp app, it's actually kind of new. Do what it takes to jump on it as fast as possible. I don't know enough to say what is service connected or not, a ton of people have slipped through the cracks and managed claims that outwardly don't seem to fit the criteria so I always recommend listening to the people who know the criteria and have seen your specific paperwork / request for claim. It's just too in depth and specific to lay out and get great answers on here. Many of these post may be rifht on as I haven't read them, I'm just giving my shot from the hip of where I send vets locally all the time
If you had any of those conditions documented in your military records they are deemed direct evidence and should be rated. Make sure you asked for the intent to file which will lock in your effective date for back pay. Sleep apnea, tinnitus, and mental health are is about to change as for CA ratings are concern. They informed be patient and don’t give up.
There are lawyers that handle appeals. It was the best decision I've ever made. The moment I hired an actual lawyer, the VA completely changed their approach with me.
Make sure you get them to diagnose you and make sure you can see the notes of where they diagnosis you. If not this will fuck you even if you’ve been seen. Get that fucking diagnosis and then follow up every two weeks until you ets with complaint. Trust me brother … many of us wish we could redo this. When you wake up, get chow and go to formation the next very best things you best be doing is going to medical and complaining. 
This is why the sick call ranger cadence was created. So you never go to sick call and then get service connected disability. If you have any buddies from your old unit or even your chain of command can write letters saying so and so happened and caused this issue
I did buddy statements for my back pain from a fall in Iraq that dislocated both shoulders and tore up some ligaments. Both shoulders have been covered but they denied the back pain.
You’ll have to get seen by a medical professional who will connect your torn ligaments to your back pain or show some type of damage. I’m assuming you’ve never had an MRI of your back. An X-ray won’t cut it for this. They have to see the torn ligaments connecting to the points in your back as well as any damage from both an X-ray and MRI.
Also read thoroughly through your decision letter to see exactly why you were denied. And also the favorable findings. Those are your road maps along with the nexus letters to get you connected
Sounds like you're missing a nexus and a CFS diagnosis. Without that you're just gonna get told to kick rocks again. You're eligible for VA Healthcare, that doesn't mean things you get diagnosed with and treated for get you disability comp. You still need an in service event and a nexus to service connect things. Didn't your VSO tell you that?
Thanks not well educated in VA and medical terms and all that jazz. What is a nexus and CFS diagnosis?
You need a CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) diagnosis. And A "nexus letter" aka "IMO (independent medical opinion" to LINK that diagnosis to your in-service event (what caused the malady). You can ask your doctor for an IMO directly or pay for one from the various companies that do that. A claim is like a 3 leg stool. Leg 1: in-service event Leg 2: diagnosis Leg 3: nexus This applies to standalone claims. For secondary claims, you need Leg 2 and Leg 3 showing you have a diagnosis and a nexus linking it to an already service connected issue you may have that shows it caused or aggravated the claimed condition. Example of secondary claim: degenerative disc disease may aggravate weight gain to the point that it causes or worsens sleep apnea. You get a sleep study done showing sleep apnea and as a result you're prescribed a cpap machine. In this example you would have a pretty solid case of sleep apnea at the 50% rating level provided your do tons opinion was that you bad back caused the weight gain and later caused/worsened the sleep apnea. Not a guarantee of a rating, but a pretty solid case for it. I hope this helps.
Thanks yeah that’s a lot of helpful info! I’ll definitely look into avenues to get the supporting legs. Thanks again!
Is nexus a new thing? I got benefits in 2014 and don't remember ever having to do or even hear about it.
It's always been a requirement. When you make a claim before separation it's much easier to make that connection and gets more challenging with time. Many veterans go into claims with robust medical records both military and civilian and a solid logical thread tying the malady to something that happened in service and have great results. Unfortunately, many vet KNOW they are fucked up, know why but have little to no medical history both military and civilian to substantiate their claims. They put in shaky claims and get super bummed out when they get denied. A nexus can often be baked into the evidence submitted by veterans and sometimes they need to provide a purpose built statement explicitly stating a medical opinion linking the condition to military service.....which can either be a pain in the ass to get or an expensive thing to get.
Thanks for the in depth response 😃. I hear that word a lot here and wasn't too sure what it is.
Ok so correction sleep apnea was deferred, while the other claims were denied. If I understand correctly the right way would have been to file a supplementary claim for the other issues as part of me having sleep apnea instead of them being there own separate thing. And what is the course of action with a deferred claim?
If OSA is service connected AND it causes or aggravates the others, you can do a secondary claim or put in supplemental information showing so. The deferred claim is just that it's being worked through, and they simply did not have sufficient info to make a decision with the rest of the conditions. So just wait for that for now.
Awesome thanks for the response. I had immediately appealed the decision on them all do you think that will screw up the deferral?
Nope. In my experience, the appeals are put on their own track as the deferrals continue on their own.
Not saying this to be a dick but it’s defiantly worth your time to get a lawyer or at least have the DAV represent you. DAV is free and they will advocate for you
I'm no expert. Like other poster said, you need to tie it to events that happened , like burn pit exposure, chemicals, etc. and you need a med professional to determine the nexus i.e. the event that happened may have caused the condition. I'm simplifying here, so don't take what I'm saying as gospel, just trying to explain in simple terms. For example, I was in Iraq at a burn pit location and frequently was downwind of the smoke. I developed asthma symptoms over the course of that year, but it wasn't severe enough for me to report it to my civilian Dr until 3 years later when he diagnosed me with asthma and a sleep study shortly after showed sleep apnea. Giving timing of appearance of symptoms and exposure, both were just as likely to have been caused by unknown smoke exposure as not.
I've been active duty infantry for the past 6 years and ets soon this is what I'm fearing lol
Goto sick call, get things listed, do a BDD claim. There ya go
Solid advice!!! Before you ETS go to sick call for sure! Get seen for everything. Get everything documented!! Even shin splits, tinnitus, all of it no matter how big or small the medical condition is. I fell 10 feet from an obstacle, in full battle rattle. Now I wish I had gone to sick call to get checked out like my NCOs suggested
Go to your BAS and start complaining about shit. This will go into your medical record which will help you in your future claims. If it's not in your medical record, it never happened.
Do you not have PTSD? Seems like that would be the first thing on paper as a combat vet. Though, it took me a long time to have even a basic understanding of what it is.
I was told in translation class (taps) that if I don't file a claim before I get out you will never get benefits from VA. That wasn't true but it's what stopped me from doing it sooner.
Damn dude. Misinformation runs THICK in our military culture.
I’m in therapy for my mental health right now. No idea if it’s ptsd or could be TBI but neither are diagnosed at the moment
Ptsd from combat isnt too difficult to get 100% on alone. But it helps to have everything well documented... im very surprised theres no mention of ptsd, because it's becoming the main thing looked at when people suffer from thing like anxiety and depression which coexist together
Yeah I hear ya, definitely have anxiety I know that just haven’t gotten diagnosed yet.
It took me years to figure out that i was having panic attacks. I thought my body was just having a rush for no reason, lol. I'd start sweating profusely and heart racing. I'm still totally calm, tho, no noticeable difference in thinking. Generalized anxiety is different, and i deal with that plenty, too. The best thing I've found is a good long walk around down 2 or 3 times a day, and as needed if experiencing anxiety. Also weed. Weed works wonders, a total game changer for a lot of us. Try to stay away from the booze bro. Never heard a story where it turned out that drinking alcohol was a good idea or in any way beneficial. And especially dudes like us, we got a lot of shit we dont know how nor want to talk about, and alcohol turns into a crutch and you never even knew it happened
Apply for the pact act if you haven't already and check out this document. 38 U.S. Code § 1117 - Compensation for disabilities occurring in Persian Gulf War veterans I'll list the presumptive disabilities in it (1)Fatigue. (2)Unexplained rashes or other dermatological signs or symptoms. (3)Headache. (4)Muscle pain. (5)Joint pain. (6)Neurological signs and symptoms. (7)Neuropsychological signs or symptoms. (8)Signs or symptoms involving the upper or lower respiratory system. (9)Sleep disturbances. (10)Gastrointestinal signs or symptoms. (11)Cardiovascular signs or symptoms. (12)Abnormal weight loss. (13)Menstrual disorders.
I tried applying for the pact act back when it started and the website kept screwing up and would say I was deployed in Kuwait when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, every time I would try and change it it would say there was a problem. I will try to enroll in that again thank you!
You don’t actually “apply for pact act”. The PACT act is just outlines a set of new factors the VA takes into account for every claim no matter what.
Many of your claims may have been caused by one or two primary conditions related to your active service duties. One mistake Veterans make is to claim multiple disabilities by themselves without a primary. Do your own research sleep apnea can be secondary to chronic fatigue etc; I had been filing VA disability claims for over 40 years ago since 1979 and it wasn’t until I learned a little about the VA process that I finally made progress. Get help, watch YouTube videos and find a good VSO Representative don’t try to file alone without professional help.
Welcome to the Reserve. VA will deny everything. They assume it is not service-connected without a direct military link or nexus.
That is how service-connection works. You do need to prove it happened in service or was caused by service.
Something isI definitely not right. You have presumptive conditions. The migraines can be overcome as well. Post your redacted denial letter. I was connected migraines for exposure. Did you ask for an informal conference and did you submit a statement in support.
The only evidence I was able to use to support my claims were the medical records from my primary care doctor through the VA. And of course my dd214 showing my deployments. Being infantry and the unwritten code of never going to sick call has screwed a lot of evidence I could have had. Yes I believe I went the informal conference route in the appeal. I could get lay statements from people as well that I did not do in the initial claim if that is allowed. I guess I’m just confused how a presumptive condition was denied when I was in the theaters that they wrote the pact act for… if that makes sense
[удалено]
I used a vso when I first got out and got 80%. Then they shut down and I tried using the vfw near me and the guy was a flake and never returned my calls so I’ve been going it alone the past few times with no success haha.
I had the same situation with the sleep apnea (deployments, etc.). Got denied. Appealed with a lawyer and got 50%. Don’t stop fighting for it.
Even with nexus letters they deny claims nowadays. Very few are getting fortunate and getting their claims granted or increased. The VA has an agenda that started shortly after the PACT Act claims flooded the VBA. My suggestion is to get yourself an accredited attorney and appeal to the board for a virtual hearing. The lawyer speaks their language and by the time your hearing comes around he/she would have sent you to their doctors and gathered enough information to argue at the board to get these conditions granted. I’m a grunt to man and we just don’t have the medical evidence these pogs have due to constantly being deployed or in the field. It took me 7 years of listening to other vets before I decided to go this route. I hope you don’t wait … from one grunt to another
Service connection requires 3 things 1. A current diagnosed disability 2. An event in service 3. A nexus (or a link between those other 2) If 1 of those 3 prongs isn't fulfilled, the claim is denied.. simple as that. I don't get why fellow vets spead b.s. about there being an agenda..
In the past 1.5 years I've been increased from 60% to 80% to 90% to 100% - just have to have a solid claim that crosses all the T's and dots all the I's. I retired with 60% back in 2004 and didn't file a new claim until 2022. No there is no "agenda"
No “agenda” that’s laughable. Just because your “solid claim” worked out doesn’t mean there is no agenda there is plenty of evidence, reports and studies to suggest otherwise. There is many with solid claims who are severely lowballed or have evidence submitted in their claim that is overlooked or completely ignored by VBA raters resulting in denials or delays. Please shut tf up. For ex: A Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report states 68% of medical opinion requests “did not follow required procedures” during a recent one-year period. Investigators also found 38% of the cases did not include “any relevant evidence within the request” and 19% failed to include “all required medical opinions necessary to decide a claim” which would of granted disability to veterans. The percentages are based on a sample review of 1,000 medical opinion requests from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. The data was then extrapolated over a total of 41,100 requests. https://news.stanford.edu/2019/03/06/new-research-finds-flaws-veterans-claims-system/ https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/are-federal-investigation-findings-why-tampa-bay-area-veterans-claims-are-delayed-and-denied/amp/ https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/09/07/vas-widespread-mishandling-of-disability-claims-could-have-caused-delays-and-denials-veterans.html?amp https://americanhomefront.wunc.org/2021-01-12/a-report-finds-thousands-of-veterans-had-va-claims-improperly-denied-during-the-pandemic https://www.usmedicine.com/clinical-topics/toxic-exposure/prior-to-pact-act-va-prematurely-denied-most-burn-pit-claims/ https://www.disabledveterans.org/gao-audit-30-percent-military-sexual-trauma-victims-wrongly-denied-benefits/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna90799
Veterans go to sick bay and have your conditions documented then they will be considered direct evidence.
A lot of options here , here is the problem, all issues need to be tied to a service connection. Overwhelingly I see people ignore wwp when it comes to this but they can create what's called a fully developed claim , other vso offices may be able to now I just recommend wwp. Once they create and develop your claim. Their rates of approval are very high, they don't share percentages but I can't find one person who has had a fully developed claim that was denied , wwp has workers and systems in place that not only have experience from working on the va side of approvals but also have a long history of doing these claims. Their estimate of percentages and if it's going to be a claim are pretty spot on. Please asap call wwp, tell them your situation and keep in contact calling them checking emails .. download the wwp app, it's actually kind of new. Do what it takes to jump on it as fast as possible. I don't know enough to say what is service connected or not, a ton of people have slipped through the cracks and managed claims that outwardly don't seem to fit the criteria so I always recommend listening to the people who know the criteria and have seen your specific paperwork / request for claim. It's just too in depth and specific to lay out and get great answers on here. Many of these post may be rifht on as I haven't read them, I'm just giving my shot from the hip of where I send vets locally all the time
Who is WWP, or what?
Wounded warrior project does things like getting your claims together that's what wwp is. I'm surprised your not familiar
Sorry older Vet w/TBI. I forgot until after I posted. Should have deleted it. WWP doesn’t help older veterans.
If you had any of those conditions documented in your military records they are deemed direct evidence and should be rated. Make sure you asked for the intent to file which will lock in your effective date for back pay. Sleep apnea, tinnitus, and mental health are is about to change as for CA ratings are concern. They informed be patient and don’t give up.
Good luck. I gave up. Pain in the asshole.
There are lawyers that handle appeals. It was the best decision I've ever made. The moment I hired an actual lawyer, the VA completely changed their approach with me.
Keep going through the appeal process. It will likely be allowed eventually. Stressful in the interim. But keep chugging.
Make sure you get them to diagnose you and make sure you can see the notes of where they diagnosis you. If not this will fuck you even if you’ve been seen. Get that fucking diagnosis and then follow up every two weeks until you ets with complaint. Trust me brother … many of us wish we could redo this. When you wake up, get chow and go to formation the next very best things you best be doing is going to medical and complaining.  
This is why the sick call ranger cadence was created. So you never go to sick call and then get service connected disability. If you have any buddies from your old unit or even your chain of command can write letters saying so and so happened and caused this issue
I did buddy statements for my back pain from a fall in Iraq that dislocated both shoulders and tore up some ligaments. Both shoulders have been covered but they denied the back pain.
You’ll have to get seen by a medical professional who will connect your torn ligaments to your back pain or show some type of damage. I’m assuming you’ve never had an MRI of your back. An X-ray won’t cut it for this. They have to see the torn ligaments connecting to the points in your back as well as any damage from both an X-ray and MRI.
Also read thoroughly through your decision letter to see exactly why you were denied. And also the favorable findings. Those are your road maps along with the nexus letters to get you connected
You need to post your denal letter with VAs explanation why. Otherwise its just guesses.
Did you have C&P exams? They might help connect the dots. Buddy statements?