Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2004

The Board has granted the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for cervical disc disease, but denied her claim for pelvic inflammatory disease due to lack of current evidence. The veteran was in a motor vehicle accident during active duty for training which resulted in degenerative disc disease.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's cervical spine disorder. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence and evaluation.

The veteran's claim for service connection for plantar fasciitis, right foot is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service and the current condition is not related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to consider the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder disability, including consideration of staged ratings and VA examination findings.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine disorder was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar strain and/or residuals of a post-operative left shoulder dislocation, leading to a denial of the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of current disability or a link between any claimed conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected myalgia of the right trapezius muscles with cervical spondylosis warrants a 20 percent rating since April 6, 2000.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the veteran's claimed stressor occurred during his military training. Service connection was also granted for left ankle, right ankle, left knee, right knee, and cervical spine disabilities based on new evidence received since the last denial.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient medical evidence and potential VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of shoulder and hand injuries, right shoulder injury, neck condition (including degenerative disc disease), arm conditions (including carpal tunnel syndrome), and migraine headaches. The veteran's symptoms were not found to be related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's complaints of pain and numbness in his left upper extremity were not due to his service-connected resection of a first cervical rib for thoracic outlet syndrome, thus denying an increased evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including arthritis and arteriosclerotic heart disease. The claims were denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or chronic disability within one year post-service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded to the RO for further development.

The VA denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder, lumbosacral spine disorder, right wrist disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, headache disorder, and sinus disorder.,There is no evidence of any current disability related to the veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip and side disability, as well as a neck disability, both of which were secondary to his service-connected right knee arthritis. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine condition did not have its onset during service or within one year of service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's headaches, secondary to his service-connected chronic cervical strain with limitation of motion of the upper extremities, are currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and determine the relationship between the veteran's current cervical spine disability and any incident of service.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back and cervical spine disorders are not related to his military service, including periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The evidence did not show any injury or disease during these periods.