Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a Travel Board hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the earliest opportunity.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar DDD and cervicalgia have not resulted in any compensable disability ratings due to the lack of incapacitating episodes or significant functional impairment.

The Board found no evidence of a neck disability in service or for many years thereafter, and thus denied the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder. The lumbar spine issue is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and issuance of a statement of the case on all issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gout, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, traumatic brain and head injury, and severed tendons have been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions had their clinical onset during or are related to his active military service.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current cervical spine disability and whether it is related to his military service. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and associated left upper extremity radiculopathy, finding that a preexisting condition was aggravated by inactive duty for training.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and tinnitus secondary to Lyme Disease was denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and cervical spine disorders need further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to service, including an in-service motor vehicle accident. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn regarding the issue of dental disorder. The Board finds that multiple joint and muscle pain, urethritis, prostatitis, chronic sinusitis, conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, night sweats (due to Reiter's syndrome or sarcoidosis), respiratory problems (sarcoidosis), blood in stools/hemorrhoids, and short term memory loss are all part of his service-connected Reiter's syndrome. The Veteran's right heel spur residuals do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. His sarcoidosis does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for sinusitis, right shoulder capsulitis, and cervical spine/neck spondylosis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining records related to his disability retirement and VA examination of his cervical and lumbar spine disorders.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no legal basis for higher schedular evaluations for tinnitus, and the criteria for service connection were not met for left ear disorder, neck disorder, cervical spine disorder, or psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and whether it is related to service. The Veteran asserts he injured his back while serving on the USS Midway in or around 1953, but there are no medical records from this period.

The Board denied the appellant's requests for increased evaluations for his right knee disability, left shoulder disability, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left arm. The remaining issues are pending.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and attempting to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The claims of service connection for an eye disability, a neck disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder will be reconsidered.