Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain a substantially gainful occupation, warranting referral for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for back, neck, left elbow, and hand disabilities due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran is also being remanded for a VA examination to assess his current left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records, private treatment records, and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further examinations to assess the severity of his lumbar spine, cervical spine, left ankle and left knee disabilities. The Veteran testified that he experiences flare-ups and limitations due to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected patellofemoral syndrome status post arthroscopy, left knee and right knee were granted a 10 percent disability rating. The bilateral plantar fasciitis with bilateral flat feet was also granted a 10 percent disability rating. Service connection for cervical spine strain and degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine were granted based on their direct relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, a neck condition, and headaches will be addressed on remand.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability does not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation due to his reliance on assistive devices, but he is not eligible based on blindness or burns.

The Board has granted service connection for a TMJ disability and remanded the Veteran's claims regarding cervical spine, migraines, sleep apnea, chronic cough condition, soft to liquid diet, muscle spasms of the face and neck, Freys condition, and scars of the face and neck disabilities due to her now service-connected TMJ disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examinations and records, particularly regarding the Veteran's cervical spine, left and right knee disabilities, and his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder with other specified depressive disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracic and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had onset during active duty. Service connection was denied for sleep apnea syndromes due to lack of a link between the condition and service.

Service connection is granted for right and left knee disabilities, as well as back and right ankle disabilities. Service connection for neck disability was dismissed.,The Veteran's right and left knees are found to be related to service due to degenerative joint disease.

The Board denied service connection for neck and back disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service. The Veteran's claims were based on his belief that he sustained injuries during basic training, but there is no credible medical evidence to support this claim.

The Veteran's appeal of high cholesterol (claimed as hyperlipidemia) has been withdrawn.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for GERD is denied, as it cannot be earlier than March 11, 2015.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to in-service exposure or within one year post-separation from service.,CAD and respiratory conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to service.,A neck disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as secondary to GERD and right foot disability) are also remanded for further examination and opinion.,Polysubstance abuse is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its relationship to GERD, right foot disability, or CAD.,ED is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested to withdraw all remaining issues in the appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for colon polyps and cervical polyps have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of right upper extremity tremor, left upper extremity tremor, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and right shoulder disability for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, migraine headaches, cervical spondylosis with myofascial pain syndrome, lumbar DDD, and bilateral ankle tendonitis, render him incapable of re-entering the workforce and working in any substantially gainful capacity. The Board has granted his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will need to provide new opinions addressing whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including breathing problems, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability. The decision also denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for back and cervical spine disabilities prior to March 5, 2015 as they were fully resolved by a June 2020 rating decision that granted these conditions effective from those dates.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions regarding hypertension and cause of death. The appellant is seeking benefits related to the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder.