Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted increased ratings. SMC at the housebound rate has also been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for back, neck, bilateral shoulder, and asthma disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The claims are inextricably intertwined with her other service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for seasonal allergic rhinitis and cervical dysplasia have been granted. The Veteran is also awarded a 10% disability rating for her appendectomy scar, effective July 11, 2022.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to October 10, 2018 due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, right hip, and heart disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and cervical spine disorder due to additional development being required. The Veteran's service records do not show any pre-existing conditions or injuries related to his current disorders.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and to determine if they are related to his military service. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities have been denied higher ratings due to lack of evidence showing unfavorable ankylosis.,Higher ratings for the upper and lower extremity radiculopathies are also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for another VA examination and to consider secondary service connection claims. The Veteran's condition of residuals injury right hand ulnar distribution is being reviewed, along with his complex regional pain syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cervical radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations, particularly regarding TBI-related disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back and cervical spine conditions.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and hair loss claims are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.,The Veteran's OSA claim is remanded as the examiner failed to consider her prior sleep disturbances.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded because the examiner did not provide a rationale for denying secondary service connection.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded due to insufficient consideration of medical literature cited by the Veteran’s representative.,The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded as the examination results were inconsistent and the examiner failed to address relevant medical literature.,The Veteran's dizziness claim is remanded because the examiner did not consider whether her dizziness was a symptom of her service-connected headache disability or a separate disorder.,The Veteran's cervical spine, left hand, bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, and foot disabilities claims are all remanded due to inadequate examination reports that failed to address relevant medical literature and symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the cervical spine was granted. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of lower extremities, and TDIU prior to October 16, 2015 were remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and his active-duty service.

The Board has determined that the appeal pertaining to increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as service connection claims for various conditions, is remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and left shoulder disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to in-service injury or disease. The Board also found that these conditions were not secondary to any service-connected disabilities.,Service connection is not granted as there is insufficient evidence linking the claimed disabilities to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder and bilateral foot disorder due to incomplete records and need for further evaluation. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome, and cervical spondylosis, right lateral collateral ligament sprain (chronic / recurrent), and left lateral collateral ligament sprain (chronic / recurrent).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is being evaluated based on its secondary service connection theory, while his left shoulder osteoarthritis remains at a 20% rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines, bilateral flat feet, a bilateral shoulder condition, asthma, cervical spine condition, thoracolumbar spine condition, and bilateral knee conditions are being remanded as further medical examination is needed to determine the nature and cause of these disabilities.,Your current hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains denied.