Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's headaches are granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical spine disability. The rating for his cervical spine disability is granted at 40 percent, effective from the date of decision. Ratings for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy remain denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to determine if her current back, vision, chest pain, allergies, breathing disorder, headaches, memory loss, and vertigo are related to service or any other conditions. The issues include a back disorder, vision disorders, chronic chest pain, allergies, asthma, headaches, memory loss, and vertigo.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's periods of service are unclear and requires further verification. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to reopen claims of service connection for back and cervical spine disabilities. The Veteran's representative requested reconsideration in August 2018, but the AOJ denied his claims again in September 2018. The issue of service connection for cervical spine disability is now being considered on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis with radiculopathy is granted as service-connected due to the effects of his military occupational specialty (MOS) as a cannon crewman. Service connection for depressive disorder and PTSD, including right shoulder injury secondary to cervical spine disability, is remanded.

The Veteran's MDD is granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities. His cervical strain was rated at 20% effective February 26, 2019, with additional radiculopathy ratings for the right upper extremity and left lower extremity.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear has been granted. Service connection is also granted for OSA, cervicogenic headaches, and cervical spine disability.,Service connection is granted for erectile dysfunction (ED), hypertension, a disability manifested by loss of balance secondary to cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, thyroid disorder, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's chronic vascular headaches have been granted a maximum schedular rating of 50 percent from June 6, 2014 to January 14, 2015. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability other than somatic symptom disorder and pendulous breasts (claimed as residuals of a breast reduction) are pending.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and neck disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding whether her conditions were aggravated by periods of active duty training. The VA must obtain a legible copy of the Veteran's police report, verify specific dates of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA, and provide an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of her current back and neck disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for headaches, sleep disorder, difficulty swallowing, and cervical spine arthritis. The Board found that the Veteran's headaches are not related to service or his service-connected panic disorder. Service connection was granted for a sleep disorder secondary to service-connected panic disorder. Service connection was denied for difficulty swallowing as it is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Service connection was also denied for cervical spine arthritis, claimed as a neck disorder, as there is no evidence of a current neck condition related to service.

The Veteran's gout was not present in service and is unrelated to service.,A cervical spine disability, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were not present in service or within one year following separation from service. The Veteran’s disabilities are not otherwise related to service.,Sleep apnea was not present in service and is unrelated to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted beginning December 11, 2018.,Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The cervical spine disability issue, including insomnia and numbness in the left shoulder and hand, is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's 40% rating for cervical strain with DDD is restored from April 1, 2016. The 10% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy and the 20% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, bilateral foot disability, cervical spine disability, and left upper extremity neurological disability. The right upper extremity neurological disability is denied as secondary to the cervical spine disability.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, as well as to address whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected lower thoracic and lumbar strain.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a cervical spine disability and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The cervical spine disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, with no evidence of forward flexion limited to less than 30 degrees or IVDS. Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for VA purposes.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition since May 2015, as there are no recent medical records available.

The Veteran's claim to reopen a previously denied sleep disorder claim has been withdrawn and is dismissed. The issues of service connection for an eye disorder, rating for asthma, cervical spine disability before March 13, 2017, rating for cervical spine disability since March 13, 2017, rating for GERD, and TDIU before March 1, 2017 are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine disorder, upper extremity neurological disorder (including cervical radiculopathy), headaches, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and left shoulder disorder, as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities and associated falls.