Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran was granted TDIU from April 16, 2013 to December 31, 2014.,TDIU was denied for the period January 1, 2015 to August 7, 2015 due to substantially gainful income.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act, but remanded other claims due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has found the September 2015 VA examination to be inadequate and remanded for another examination. The new examination is required to provide a clear rationale as to whether the Veteran's current cervical spine condition is related to service, including considering previous attributions of symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cervical spine disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability, bilateral hand numbness (now diagnosed as bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome), headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies between the factual premise of a motor vehicle accident during service and the medical opinions provided. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being reviewed again with an updated examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition and obstructive sleep apnea due to inconsistencies in medical opinions regarding the relationship between her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, groin rash, and sleep apnea were not shown to be related to service.,Service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, irritable bowel syndrome, and PTSD due to outstanding treatment records and incomplete service treatment records. Additional VA medical opinions are needed regarding the onset of the Veteran's conditions during service and their relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's neck disability, characterized as degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, is granted service connection.,Service connection for left arm radiculopathy is remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.,Service connection for diverticulitis is denied as there is no persuasive evidence that it began during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,Service connection for hemorrhoids is denied as there is no persuasive evidence that they began during active service, or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a condition subject to presumptive service connection due to exposure to burn pits and other environmental hazards, is granted based on the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include unspecified depressive disorder, has been granted. The condition is found to be at least as likely as not related to his obstructive sleep apnea.,A higher rating of 20 percent for left extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) has been granted.

The Veteran's low back disability and upper back disability are granted, while the claim for a deviated septum is denied. The Veteran has been awarded an initial 10 percent rating for pansinusitis from January 10, 2017 to August 1, 2021, with an effective date of August 2, 2021.

The Veteran's cervical strain and right shoulder impingement syndrome were found to not warrant increased ratings, with the exception of a temporary 20 percent rating for his cervical strain after June 17, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions provided in previous decisions. The case is returned for further review with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's skin, neck, back, right knee, and left knee disabilities were not found to be related to his active service.,There is no current evidence of a back disability or bilateral knee disability.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was not received to readjudicate the claim of entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability. The May 2019 rating decision denying this claim is considered binding, as it did not apply the correct procedural requirements.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cervical spine condition, finding no evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical fracture/sprain should be remanded due to the VA's failure to obtain all relevant community care program records from Dr. S.H.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his cervical spine DDD, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed as the Veteran has not appealed the effective date or rating assigned. The claim for thyroid cancer is remanded due to insufficient evidence.