Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's neck disability and its relationship to his service, particularly as a pilot. The Veteran is requested to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.

All initial claims for increased ratings were dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal. The restoration of a 50% rating for major depressive disorder was granted effective December 1, 2015. Earlier effective dates of May 22, 2014 were granted for increased ratings for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for total knee replacement, left and right knees (claimed as bilateral knee injury), and for degenerative arthritis of the spine, cervical spondylosis and spinal fusion (claimed as neck injury) have been granted. The appeal is dismissed because these issues are no longer in controversy.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for major depression with mixed anxious distress, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, and migraine headaches were denied. The Board found that the severity of the Veteran’s symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for cervical strain is remanded due to the need for a new examination and consideration of additional functional loss.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, but denied service connection for hypertension as it did not result from his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to withdraw appeals of his evaluations for various service-connected disabilities and awarded a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding his claimed disabilities, particularly those related to his neck and back conditions. The VA must provide additional medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's flare-ups and potential functional loss, as well as the need for updated VA treatment records. The Veteran will be scheduled for a new VA examination to assess his cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantial and gainful employment prior to September 12, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine condition and remanded the claims of patellofemoral pain syndrome of both knees due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection of various conditions due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral ulnar neuropathy, and cervical spine disability due to additional development being needed.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD) claim is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding whether it was aggravated by his service-connected chronic lumbar fibromyositis.

The Board found the Veteran's appeal was untimely for some issues and dismissed them. The claim for earlier effective date for liver condition is remanded.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's neck disability, finding that the evidence did not support an increase to any higher level.,The Board also denied ratings in excess of 0 percent for the Veteran's bilateral lateral femoral cutaneous nerve dysfunction, finding no evidence of more than mild impairment.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is being remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The reduction in the rating for cervical spine disability from 30 percent to 10 percent, effective August 1, 2015, was improper and the 30 percent rating is restored.

The Veteran's service connection claims for psoriatic arthritis and kidney disorder are remanded due to the AOJ failing to notify him of their findings regarding his treatment records from 'Arthritis Associates' in Hixson, Tennessee. The Veteran also has secondary theories of entitlement for these conditions.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a kidney disorder is remanded as he used Naproxen extensively to treat his service-connected orthopedic disorders and over time, the Naproxen damaged his kidneys.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities have been denied. The VA has determined that the current disability ratings do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.