Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2021

The Veteran's initial rating for residuals of thoracic sprain and cervical sprain remains denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the General Rating Formula.,For migraine headaches, an initial rating of 50% has been granted but no higher.

The Veteran's neck disability is found to have started during her military service, and she has been granted service connection for it.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability prior to October 7, 2020. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of TDIU prior to this date and grants the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine condition, finding no nexus between his current disability and military service.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is currently rated at 20 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to limited forward flexion.

The Board has remanded the issue of whether the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is service-connected, as it was not adequately addressed in the previous examinations. The case will be returned for further development and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, but his right ankle disability does not warrant an extraschedular rating. The claims for sleep apnea and entitlement to an extraschedular TDIU are remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current condition is not related to his military service.,The Board also found that the Veteran's headaches are not related to his military service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran had pre-existing headaches prior to service.

The Veteran's right lower extremity neurological disability, right upper and left upper extremity neurological abnormalities, and cervical spine disabilities are granted. The Veteran is also granted TDIU prior to March 19, 2014.

The Board has remanded the cases of cervical spine disorder and left hip disorder due to incomplete compliance with previous remand instructions. The Veteran's claims are inextricably intertwined, so they must be adjudicated together.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, right ankle disability, neck disability, and GERD are not service-connected. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed cervical radiculopathy and right upper extremity neuropathy. The examiner must provide an addendum opinion addressing causation and aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, and right hip disability due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disability, including sleep apnea and related to PTSD, was denied.,Service connection was granted for the skin disability of tinea versicolor. The condition was presumed to have been aggravated by service.,The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.,Bilateral hearing loss was not established as a service-connected disability.,No service connection was granted for bilateral shoulder disability, back disability, or neck disability.,Service connection was denied for the Veteran's back and neck disabilities.,The decision also referred the issue of service connection for cardiovascular disease secondary to PTSD to the Regional Office (RO) for further adjudication.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, eye disabilities, and gastrointestinal disorders. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for sciatica, left lower extremity; herniated disc with muscle strain and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), lumbar spine; and strain, cervical spine have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral eye, knee, lumbosacral spine, cervical spine, right ankle, and left ankle conditions. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate examination reports.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is also being remanded.