Hi Jim,
I've been reading through your site and I wanted to know your opinion.
I am 70% rated for my back, knee, and other things. I have major atrophy of muscle too. Anyways, my current problem is my back, which I did get surgery for and it is getting worse.
I have been going to a chiropractor almost weekly until it started to get too costly to continue that much. My knee hurts so much that unless i wear a knee brace I can't walk.
I want to apply for higher ratings but I dont want to lose the ratings I have. I hear that if I apply for a higher rating that VA may actually lower the ratings I have now. So what should I do?
Reply:
If you are eligible for a higher rating, you should apply for it. But first, be sure you're eligible.
Any time you ask to increase an existing rating, you'll get a new C & P exam. If the examiner sees and reports improvement, the rater may choose to propose a lower rating. Then you have an appeal to deal with.
I advise veterans to seek an increase in any rating only after they are positive that they can document everything they need. If a vet wants to increase a knee rating from 20% to 40%, he better be prepared to prove why.
I write a bit more about this here
http://www.vawatchdog.org/how-to-increase-an-existing-benefit--.html