Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to service. The Veteran needs a supplemental VA medical opinion and potentially a new VA examination.

The claim for Vitamin D deficiency has been dismissed. The low back disability is granted and rated at 10%. Other issues are remanded.,Neck, rheumatoid arthritis, acquired psychiatric disorder (including dysthymic disorder and insomnia), allergic rhinitis, loss of sense of smell, and sinusitis for increased rating are all remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma, migraines, PTSD, and TBI-related conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the appeal period from May 14, 2018, to September 7, 2021, and from September 18, 2021, to September 7, 2022. Effective September 7, 2021, he is in receipt of a 100% combined schedular disability rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, jaw, and bilateral knee disabilities. The Board found no current diagnoses of these conditions in the record.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.,The claim for a cervical spine disability, claimed as neck disability, is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for acid reflux and stomach ulcers are granted as secondary to medications taken for his now service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to medications taken for his now service-connected acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's residuals of right wrist ganglion cyst were granted service connection as it was caused by an in-service right wrist ganglion cyst.,Service connection for a right ankle disability was denied due to the periodic flare ups not being causally related to active duty service.,Service connection for hemorrhoids was denied as there is no current evidence of a disability or impairment associated with them.,The left elbow condition was denied as it did not onset during his active duty service and there were no symptoms reported after separation.,Bilateral hearing loss was denied due to the absence of a current diagnosis meeting VA criteria for a disability.,Service connection for a scar from left inguinal hernia repair was denied as there is no evidence of such a condition.,Right foot condition, including plantar fasciitis, was remanded as further examination and opinion are needed.,Cervical spine condition and high blood pressure were also remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's gynecological conditions and their relation to service, including exposure to burn pits. The Veteran is seeking service connection for her gynecological disabilities, which include menorrhagia, uterine fibroids, cervical dysplasia, endometrial cysts, and anemia.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated records and an extraschedular evaluation. The Veteran is also advised to provide authorization for any private treatment records that may be relevant.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are caused and aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The Board has granted the claim for service connection, but the effective date of the TDIU is remanded due to insufficient clinical evidence.

This decision dismisses the Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae. The Veteran's tinnitus and headaches are granted service connection, but his left ear hearing loss, depressive disorder with anxiety, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and scar on the head remain remanded for further development.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. Headaches are also granted as related to an in-service fall.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for cervical spine disability and associated radiculopathy was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating higher than 10 percent, while his upper extremity radiculopathy was rated as mild prior to January 31, 2023.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back disability, neck disability, headaches, right upper extremity numbness, and left upper extremity numbness. The issues of service connection for these conditions are now resolved.

Service connection for pleurisy and granulomatous disease is granted as presumptively due to burn pit exposure under the PACT Act.,Service connection for headaches is granted as a qualifying chronic disability.

The Veteran's claim for higher evaluations for his service-connected cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities has been denied. The highest possible rating of 20 percent for the cervical spine was granted effective January 6, 2021.,For the period prior to January 6, 2021, the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation as it did not result in forward flexion limited to 15 degrees or less. For the period beginning January 6, 2021, the disability was rated at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence received since the last decision, and requests that she complete medical authorizations for private records. The Board also requires examinations to determine etiology of her claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to non-compliance with prior remand directives and for obtaining a retrospective opinion on functional loss.

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

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, finding that these conditions are not secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes cavus.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of heart disability, major depressive disorder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's psychiatric disability is found to be etiologically related to her active service. The Board grants the claim for service connection.