Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, leading to a grant of SMC based on aid and attendance. The housebound status claim is moot due to the grant of SMC at the aid and attendance rate.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and a psychiatric disability other than PTSD are being readjudicated due to new evidence. The claim for Degenerative Disc Disease Cervical Neck Condition is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's neck disability is denied as service connection. The right knee condition and migraines are remanded for further evaluation.,An increased evaluation of the right knee condition is also remanded, and service connection for migraines remains in dispute.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine DDD, C3 to C7 and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD. The Veteran's current hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 40 percent from June 1, 2022.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease (cervical DDD) is granted.

The Board remands the matter for an adequate VA examination to address the Veteran's cervical spine disability, specifically focusing on additional functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance from November 15, 2021, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him bedridden or in need of regular aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing whether these disabilities are related to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, cervical spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, right foot disability, left foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss, due to missing records from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Veteran's thoracolumbar strain and cervical strain with IVDS are remanded for additional examinations to address functional loss during flare-ups and repeated use.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right upper extremity (minor), femoral, and sciatic nerves is also remanded for appropriate peripheral nerve examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of anatomical loss or use of extremities, and his conditions are not related to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or other presumptive conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before a decision was made, so the case is dismissed.

The Board remands the case for further development as there has not been substantial compliance with its prior directives.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and a neck disability due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran is asked to provide or identify any missing records, and VA will attempt to obtain them.

The Board granted service connection for several disabilities, including degenerative arthritis of the right and left foot, cervical strain, degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left shoulder strain, left elbow strain, peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities. However, it denied service connection for a respiratory disability, an eye disability, and a gynecological disability.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for tension headaches and service connection for cervical spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, and left arm radiculopathy disorders due to a failure to substantially comply with previous remand instructions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as sleep apnea due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected cervical strain (claimed as neck pain with herniated discs and annual tears) is remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluation regarding flare-ups, functional loss, muscle spasms, and range of motion limitations.

The Veteran's application for Legacy S-DVI was denied because it was not filed within the two-year period after he received a compensable disability rating, and there is no evidence of mental incompetence. The Veteran had hypertension rated as at least 10 percent disabling since August 2022.