Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The decision acknowledges the Veteran's continuous symptoms since service and finds that there is relative equipoise in determining whether a pre-existing condition was aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disease of the cervical spine and lumbosacral strain, finding that there is no evidence of chronic conditions related to service.,Service connection was also not granted for hypertension due to a remand.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in service and is unrelated to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the remaining issues on appeal due to procedural errors in recognizing the Veteran's VA Forms 10182 and placing his appeal on the AMA Hearing Docket. The Veteran's appeal is now under the legacy system, and he must file a timely VA Form 9 or VA 10182 to continue his appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability were not incurred or aggravated during service. The disabilities are considered to be unrelated to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for lower back, cervical spine, and right shoulder disabilities. These conditions are considered to be directly related to his in-service motorcycle accident.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the existence of arthritis in service or within a year after separation. The Veteran's testimony from his hearing will be considered, and a medical opinion will be obtained.

The Board denied service connection for right and left eye disabilities, cervical spine disability, and right ankle disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during or were otherwise related to active service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to her lumbar spine, fibromyalgia, bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy, hip and knee disabilities, and cervical spine conditions. The claims are being remanded for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal should be addressed under the Legacy system and accepts his VA Form 10182 as a timely Notice of Disagreement. The AOJ must now send an SOC addressing the issues on appeal, including service connection for lower back injury, left ankle injury, cervical spine injury, and head injury with concussion.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain, acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right elbow degenerative joint disease, right wrist degenerative joint disease, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis with spondylosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination reports. The issues include arthritis, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney conditions, gallbladder conditions, appendix conditions, sinusitis, erectile dysfunction, and eye problems. These matters will be addressed by new medical opinions regarding exposure at Pease Air Force Base.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's cervical spine disability and its relationship to his service-connected disabilities, as well as any environmental exposures.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and a rating for shin splints. The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and lumbosacral strain are not rated higher than the current levels due to lack of evidence supporting more severe disability. Service connection for cervical spine and left wrist disabilities is denied as they are not attributable to active military service or arthritis manifest within one year post-service. The claim for a headache was previously denied, but new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board has granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral shoulder disabilities. Service connection for neurological disorders of the lower and upper extremities is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both his left and right hands, as these conditions are related to his cold weather injury residuals. The AOJ will need to obtain updated medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndromes.

The Board has remanded the claims for neck, bilateral hip, bilateral leg, and bilateral foot disabilities due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners. The Veteran's service-connected gout is presumed to be related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability did not begin during service and is not related to an in-service injury, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder, right upper extremity neurological disorder, and left upper extremity neurological disorder due to outstanding VA treatment records, service treatment records, and SSA disability benefits records. The Board also requested additional opinions from a VA clinician regarding the onset of these conditions during military service or their relationship to service-connected disabilities.