Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the issues of reducing disability ratings for service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome, upper extremity radiculopathy, and cervical spine with intervertebral disc syndrome. The issue of service connection for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's service connection claims for lumbar spine disorder, bilateral lower extremity lumbar spine radiculopathy, cervical spine disorder, and bilateral upper extremity cervical spine radiculopathy due to lack of development regarding his reported assault during service and incomplete medical records.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic right knee disorder, but granted service connection for a chronic cervical spine disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, as well as his claims for service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions and did not find a link between any in-service injuries or illnesses and the claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back, neck, and right lower extremity disabilities due to a lack of VA treatment records from the Charleston VA Medical Center. The Veteran should be provided with new VA examinations to determine if he currently has these conditions and whether they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the effective date is not specified. The rating assigned and effective date will be determined in a future remand.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee, lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral hip disabilities. The claim for hypertension is also remanded as it requires further development to determine its etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 7, 2016 for cervical strain, left shoulder strain with degenerative changes, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as his service connection claims were not received within the required timeframe.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right shoulder, left shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s disability pictures do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of current examination evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a relationship to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.,Service connection was also denied for hypertension, psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disability, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Board has granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spondylosis with DDD, radiculitis of the right and left lower extremities, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, cervical spondylosis with DDD, residuals of a hip fracture, and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea, and hypertension.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, deviated nasal septum, and obstructive sleep apnea as these conditions are not shown to be related to military service.

The claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine has been reopened due to new evidence, but it is still denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during or was caused by military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for cervical radiculopathy of the upper extremities, a cervical spine disability, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active service or events therein.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of GERD, endocervical residuals, and sleep apnea. The issue of service connection for hysterectomy residuals is remanded, and the issue of service connection for a headache condition (claimed as migraines) is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing service treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to request any available medical records from the Ohio National Guard.

The Veteran's claims for neck disability, chronic lumbar disability, headaches, and chest pain have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for these conditions.,Service connection has also been granted for GERD (stomach pains).

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities have worsened, necessitating a new VA examination to determine the severity of each condition. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the increased rating claims.