Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion regarding whether cervical strain is secondary to thoracolumbar spine strain with dextroscoliosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of consideration for an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's cervical spine fusion. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any outstanding treatment records and determine if referral for an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bruxism, status post TMJ, before March 14, 2019, is denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's radiculopathy, cervical spine disability, bilateral hip and knee disabilities, bilateral ankle disability, erectile dysfunction, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the upper extremities are not service-connected as they did not manifest in service or due to a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected lumbar disc disease, cervical spondylosis, and insomnia.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine condition is caused or aggravated by his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is granted, with an effective date of May 21, 2013.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for right shoulder disability is granted.,The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for cervical spine disability, claimed as neck disability, is granted.,Entitlement to service connection for obesity is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD, is granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for Degenerative Joint Disease of the Cervical Spine, increased rating for Left Ankle Sprains with Post-Operated Lysis with Adhesions and Tendinitis, and increased rating for Left Upper Extremity Disability (Median Nerve Compression).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, neck, left knee, right knee disabilities and hypertension due to the need for further medical examination.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for right knee patellofemoral syndrome, right shoulder pain, chronic headaches, head injury with facial reconstruction (now claimed as traumatic brain injury), and cervical strain were denied. The claim for CTS of the right wrist was granted.,The Veteran's requests to increase his PTSD rating and service connection for substance abuse secondary to PTSD are remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are remanded for further examination to determine their severity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical and thoracic spine disorders, including as secondary to a service-connected left shoulder disorder, has been granted. However, the Board found that there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to active service or any related events.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's cervical degenerative disc disease and spondylosis is rated at 40 percent, effective August 2018.,An earlier effective date of May 4, 2016 for the grant of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities, as well as for the VA representative to be provided an opportunity to submit a statement regarding the appeal.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service or service-connected conditions. The Veteran's claim for lumbar retrolisthesis and arthritis of the cervical spine was also remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.,For lumbar retrolisthesis and arthritis of the cervical spine, the Board found that there is no evidence of injury during service, leading to a denial of these claims.

The Board has decided that a remand is necessary to assess the current severity of the Veteran's neck disability, including neurological manifestations. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining any outstanding relevant VA treatment records and scheduling a VA cervical spine examination.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus has been withdrawn.,The RO is directed to obtain updated VA treatment records and SSA records, as well as any missing service treatment records from the David Grant Medical Center and NPRC.,VA should request that the Veteran submit any outstanding evidence regarding his claimed in-service exposure to dead bodies and race riots at Travis Air Force Base. The RO should also request a Statement in Support of Claim for PTSD Secondary to Personal Assault, and provide adequate notice as to such claim.,The RO should afford the Veteran new VA examinations for his acquired psychiatric disorders (PTSD, depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder), TBI, migraine headaches, TMJ, cervical spine disabilities, lumbar spine disability, right upper extremity disability, and right lower extremity disability. Adequate etiological opinions are needed.,The RO should afford the Veteran VA examinations for his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as a new VA examination for his right upper extremity disability (right shoulder and arm pain and numbness, right hand disability).,The RO should afford the Veteran VA examinations for his right lower extremity disability. Adequate etiological opinions are needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.