Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2005

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient records and a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right shoulder and cervical spine disabilities.

The veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only, as he does not have loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, scheduling an examination, adjudicating increased disability ratings claims, and readjudicating the TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for alcoholism, increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for muscle contraction headaches, lumbosacral strain (low back pain), a cervical spine disability, and a bilateral shoulder disability have been denied due to lack of legal merit.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a left shoulder condition. The initial rating assigned for the service-connected urethral stricture is increased to 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tendonitis of the elbows, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and degenerative arthritis of the shoulders, cervical spine, and lumbar spine are all service-connected.

The Board has granted secondary service connection for gout and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder, both wrists, and both ankles as they are aggravated by a service-connected kidney disease.

The veteran's cervical spine disorder, including secondary spinal stenosis with limitation of motion, is currently rated at 30 percent effective February 9, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current cervical spine disorder is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, degenerative arthritis of the shoulders, cervical spine, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees and ankles, hypertension, and arteriosclerotic heart disease are all denied as these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service.

The veteran's service-connected low back strain was granted a 40 percent evaluation, the maximum available under VA regulations. The cervical spine disability claim was also granted.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and knee disorder as the claimed conditions are not shown to be related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cervical radiculopathy and to reopen her previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic cervical spine disability and residuals of a left shoulder fracture, previously claimed as fibromyalgia with trigger points on the upper shoulders, bilaterally, and upper back. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disorder and bilateral leg disorder are not related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's appeal of his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was withdrawn. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the veteran for a VA examination.

The veteran is seeking service connection for cervical and lumbar spine injuries, but the claims are being remanded due to a lack of medical examination and records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions.