Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2018

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and for effective dates earlier than December 7, 2011 for cervical spondylosis, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder arthritis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical strains due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA opinions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding hearing loss, increased ratings for tinnitus, otitis externa, and hemorrhoids. The Veteran was granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The claims will be reviewed with new medical opinions based on full review of the record and supported by stated rationale.

The appeal challenging the withholding of VA compensation due to concurrent receipt of drill pay and service connection for various conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability was reopened and granted. However, his claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for a left knee disability, migraines, and right foot degenerative osteoarthritis. The claim for a left foot disability is denied. Service connection has also been granted for a lumbar spine disability but not for cervical degenerative joint disease.,The Veteran's right foot condition was found to be service-connected due to pre-existing conditions aggravated by active duty, and her migraines were found to have no direct link to service.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity is granted at a rating of 40 percent, effective from the date of examination. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left upper extremity remains at a rating of 30 percent throughout the appeal period.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's cervical spine disability beginning August 1, 2017. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s cervical spine disability warrants an initial increased rating exceeding 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine degenerative joint diseases, with a rating of 20 percent effective as of the date of decision.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and recurring headaches, finding that his pre-existing condition existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

Service connection is granted for a psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability (degenerative disc disease), and cardiovascular disorder. Other service connection claims are remanded.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, memory loss, bilateral wrist disabilities, neck disability, left knee disability, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral elbow disabilities due to new evidence showing Gulf War Syndrome. However, these conditions are not found to be related to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for low back disability, neck disability, and arthritis of the bilateral lower extremity due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for back, neck, and right lower extremity disabilities (including right ankle) as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's time in service.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for left hip disability is denied.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for sleep apnea is granted. The Board found that there was evidence showing the Veteran has sleep apnea and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating such claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for left shoulder and neck disabilities, but has remanded his claim for right elbow tendonitis due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a fainting condition and an increased rating for cervical spine disability. The fainting condition was not incurred in service, while the cervical spine disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that it is related to military service.