Thoracic Spine Disorder

I am submitting this new claim for Thoracic Herniation due to a recent onset of sharp pains in my middle back which has escalated and spread with intensity at my torso on the right side of my stomach and back. I am not sure what specfically brought this condition on other than the fact that I have been dealing with a (1) inch leg length discrepancy in my walking since my first knee surgery on May of 2010, (Right Knee Osteotomy) and March of 2011 (Total Knee Replacement of Right Knee). I now have custom made heel lifts issued by the VA to aid this problem. In addition, I have been dealing with degenerative disc disease of the Lumbar for over 20 years. However, this middle back pain is uniquely different from the familiar low back pain. Not only are there varying degrees of sharp pain directly in the middle back, but there is a vicious cycle of radiating, cramping pain that comes with a violent burning sensation at the front and around the side of my stomach. This kind of pain has rendered me completely helpless at times. My wife came in from work the other day and found me limped over on a chair in the kitchen, because when I bent over to reach for a snack in the cabinet, an outburst of radiating pain and musle spasms attacked the right side of my stomach and back. She found me sitting in absolute agony, I had to make it back to bed to lay face up in order to find some relief. These types of episodes have been happening several times on a daily basis since the end of July of 2011. I spent a great deal of time in bed. I later went to the VA emergency room on 08/07/2011 for treatment, I was given Cyclobenzaprine for a few days that did nothing to alleviate the muscle spasms or the other symptoms. I called in the VA Hospital for another medication and was given Methocarbamol, but still no real success. I later went back to the VA emergency room with my wife on 09/18/2011. I informed the nurse that I thought I was dealing with a Gallbladder issue because my symptoms were very similar with sharp pains in my right lower abdomen with radiating cramping pains also. Dr. McGuirk ordered a number of tests that ruled out any problems with my Gallbladder, Liver or Kidneys. But, he was able to look up my very recent Spinal MRI and radiology tests that revealed a herniation at the Thoracic joint at the middle back. He expressed that this was causing my problems and that this herniation was creating very much the symptoms I described. He stressed to have my primary physician order a middle Thoracic MRI to get a closer and more accurate look at the herniation. MRI tests also revealed multilevel disc protusions, a disc extrusion at T9/10 affecting nerve root, bulging discs at T10/T11, T12/L1, etc. MRI reports are attached to support claim. My primary physician, Dr. Ibraham, ordered physical therapy that will start on

Issues Entitlement to service connection for Thoracic Herniation, Thoracic Bulging Discs, Thoracic Spondylosis secondary to Chronic Lumbar disability. Entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for a low back disability.