Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for DDD of the cervical spine, left arm radiculopathy, right arm radiculopathy, left leg radiculopathy, and right leg radiculopathy. Service connection was also granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and major neurocognitive disorder).

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, right hip, and left shoulder disabilities. However, further development is needed to determine their etiology due to lack of VA treatment records and examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back, neck, and headache disabilities as well as hypertension. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence showing worsening of his cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and status post cervical surgery scar conditions.

The Veteran's frequent headaches are granted a separate evaluation of 30 percent. The Veteran’s cervical strain with degenerative disc disease and bilateral neural foraminal narrowing is remanded for an increase rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is granted for cervical neck/spine disability, right foot disability, and right shoulder disability. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine DJD remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the lack of a nexus opinion linking his current conditions to his period of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spondylolisthesis and neck disability have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected ankle, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, knee, and migraine conditions are being remanded for additional examinations to assess their current severity.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the pending nature of his other service-connected disability claims. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with his other claims.

The Board has determined that there may be outstanding service records and is therefore remanding the cases for further action to obtain these records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to military service, including Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on his lumbosacral strain, cervical spine, and knee conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the issues of bilateral hearing loss and an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for hypertension.,Service connection for a left ventricular hypertrophy is granted, subject to further review.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased ratings for various knee disabilities and service connection claims, including those related to psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, hand and shoulder conditions, eye disorders, hearing loss, migraine headaches, and knee disorders. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for some conditions, but denied for others. The appeal is granted to the extent of reopening and granting of service connection for cervical spine disability and bilateral lower extremity disabilities. Service connection was denied for Parkinson’s disease, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, heart disability, constipation, GERD, neurogenic bladder, TIAs, left face drop (facial palsy), vocal cord dysfunction, left upper extremity atrophy, right upper extremity atrophy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. Service connection was not granted for sleep disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and neck disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disorders were denied as not incurred or aggravated by service.,Obstructive sleep apnea was also denied as unrelated to service. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and erectile dysfunction are currently under consideration due to their potential secondary relationship with his psychiatric condition.,The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed for the PTSD claim and for the erectile dysfunction claim.

The Veteran's initial rating for cervical spine disorder is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating.,Service connection for pericarditis, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, and service-connected hyperhidrosis are all remanded for further examination and evaluation.