Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's cervical myelopathy was not incurred in service and is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine degenerative joint disease, left shoulder tendonitis, and right shoulder tendonitis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right shoulder disorder and total disability based on individual unemployability have been dismissed.,Claims for increased ratings for cervical strain prior to February 7, 2017 were denied. Claims for increased ratings for cervical strain from February 7, 2017 remain pending.

The Veteran's low back, cervical, bilateral hip, and bilateral ankle disorders are granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease. His left brachial plexus disorder is also granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical disorder. Chronic pain syndrome is granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical and left brachial plexus disorders. A 50 percent rating for bilateral pes planus from September 8, 2018 is granted.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine strain, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability. The appeal for erectile dysfunction was also withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an opinion on whether the Veteran's pre-existing neck condition was aggravated during service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar and cervical spine arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to in-service injuries and continuous post-service symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes, hypertension, and acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service onset or aggravation.,Service connection for right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine disability, low back disability, hepatitis C, and tinnitus has also been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, low back disability, and cervical spine disability. The case is being remanded to allow further development.

The Board has denied service connection for low back and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the current conditions are not related to the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no credible lay assertion linking his current condition to service. The preponderance of the evidence did not support the Veteran's contention.

The Veteran was granted service connection for GERD, DM2, and lumbar spine disorder. The effective date of these grants is not specified in the decision.,Service connection was also granted for heart disorder, lung disorder, cervical spine disorder, left foot disorder, right foot disorder, and sleep disorder.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to presumed herbicide exposure. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hyperhidrosis or any other sweating disability, and his GERD and hiatal hernia are also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neck, arm, leg, and foot disabilities, all claimed as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these disabilities were incurred or aggravated by his service-connected condition.,There was no medical opinion linking the Veteran's current disabilities to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

All appeals seeking to reopen previously denied claims of service connection for various conditions have been dismissed.,Claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have also been dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and a neck disability, finding that there was no current diagnosis or in-service injury to support these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disorder, cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity (RUE), and cervical radiculopathy of the left upper extremity (LUE).,The Veteran's current cervical spine disorder is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service, and arthritis did not manifest within one year of discharge from active duty.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left hip disorder, plantar fasciitis, cervical spine/neck disorder, and lower back disorder due to conflicting evidence regarding current diagnoses.

The claim for service connection of low back and cervical spine disabilities has been remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The claim for TDIU is also being returned to the RO for initial adjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right shoulder disability, back disability, and neck disability due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is also required to be examined for her lower extremity radiculopathy and CTS.