Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude her from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the criteria for a TDIU are therefore denied. The initial rating for POTS is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorders, including status/post neck fusions and degenerative changes. The Veteran needs further medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted as direct service connection due to an in-service fall, and the Board found that his current symptoms are related to this incident.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 4, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining retrospective medical opinions to estimate the amount of range of motion lost due to pain in both weightbearing and non-weight bearing positions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a cervical spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently being reviewed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and an earlier effective date for his lumbar spine disability have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the remaining issues.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for cervical spine disability has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's range of motion measurements, including during flare-ups, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for migraines including migraine variants with atypical migraines has been denied. The disability is currently rated as 50 percent, but the Veteran seeks an increase.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and examination. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, alcohol use disorder, erectile dysfunction, gout, sleep disorders, low back disability, neck disability, peripheral neuropathy in various extremities, restless leg syndrome, left knee disability, psychiatric disability, shoulder disabilities, pes planus with neuroma and plantar fasciitis, left foot disability post-surgery, and right knee meniscal tear.

The Board denied service connection for cervical degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease (DDD/DJD) and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, left shoulder strain, right knee limitation of flexion, and left knee limitation of flexion have been denied as the Veteran failed to appear for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disability, finding no in-service occurrence and insufficient evidence to support the claim.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of adequate nexus opinion.

The Veteran's cervical spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, and knee conditions are granted service connection.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also granted.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy are granted service connection, with the latter being secondary to his cervical disorder. A TDIU is also granted beginning May 1, 2019.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted due to the PACT Act presumption. Claims for low back, neck, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 and lumbar spine disorder, but has remanded the claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and cervical spine disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability (cervical spine) and a low back disability (lumbar spine), finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities began during active military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a neck disability, back disability, and jaw disability due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining new medical opinions to assess the severity of the appellant's knee disabilities and determine whether her neck disability is related to service-connected conditions.