Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's neck and right ear tinnitus claims, including VA examinations to determine the etiology of her disabilities. The low back disability issue remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disorder, bladder cancer, and erectile dysfunction based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a jaw disability, depression, and cervical spine disability. The decision found that new evidence did not meet the threshold to reopen the jaw disability claim, and there was no evidence linking any current psychiatric or spinal conditions to service.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is related to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis of the cervical spine, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for PTSD are denied as there is no factual basis to award an earlier effective date prior to October 12, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and cervical disability, finding that there was no current diagnosis related to her claimed conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back injury due to new and material evidence. However, it was not shown that his current back condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's left and right knee disabilities are service-connected, with the latter being granted based on in-service combat injuries. The bilateral foot disability is not yet rated.,Service connection for neck and back disabilities remains pending as there are no diagnoses provided by the May 2012 VA examination.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain new medical opinions for the Veteran's neck, back, and bilateral knee conditions due to inadequate previous opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tension headache disorder and cervical spine disorder are related to his active duty service. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was granted, with a rating of 20 percent for each condition effective from April 21, 2015.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, and cervical spine disability were not shown to be related to service. The Board found no medical nexus between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or causation for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service personnel records and any outstanding VA treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for cervical strain prior to August 15, 2013, based on flare-ups restricting forward flexion to 15 degrees or less.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, but denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates. The case is being remanded to issue a Statement of the Case on these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for low back strain, cervical spine strain, and right hip strain. The Veteran's current tension headaches are being remanded for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracic spine disorder, right carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, diabetes mellitus, left carpal tunnel syndrome, glaucoma with cataract in the right eye and cataract in the left eye, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity. The evidence does not support a current diagnosis for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep disorder and addressing the intertwined TDIU claim. The claims are being remanded to allow for this.

The Board found that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability did not begin during service and was not caused by any incident of service. The most probative evidence indicated it is unrelated to service or a service-connected condition.