Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2012

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder and cervical spine disorders, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty or ACDUTRA service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent effective March 25, 2009. His headaches were not found to warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertrophic spurring/osteoarthritis of the acromioclavicular joint. The cervical spine disability claim is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20% disability rating for cervical spine arthritis is denied as there was no evidence of worsening symptoms in the year prior to his August 28, 2007 claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination for vestibular disorders. The claims for increased ratings for cervical spondylosis and migraine headaches with dizziness will be readjudicated after the completion of these actions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board due to lack of evidence supporting his assertions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 4, 2009 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to lack of factual ascertainability prior to that date.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia was initially rated at 10 percent and later increased to 40 percent effective July 20, 2005. The Board has granted a maximum schedular rating for the disability.,Service connection for a cervical spine disorder was established with an effective date of July 20, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disabilities are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability, and therefore denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting any of her requested increases or establishing service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's headaches were related to service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders are not related to his military service, thus denying both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his service connection claims, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his respiratory disability and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED to the RO for further examination and readjudication of his TDIU claim due to incomplete opinions regarding the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional service treatment records and in-service hospital records. The case will be adjudicated again after these records have been obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck and left hip disabilities are not service connected due to lack of evidence linking them to his military service. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypothyroidism, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, and spondylosis and spinal stenosis of the cervical spine. The conditions were not found to be related to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a joint disorder of the right hand/fingers. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, arranging for additional medical examinations, and readjudicating all issues.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the cause of her loss of use of lower extremities.