Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for back, neck, and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's cervical spine condition may not have existed prior to service, as it was presumed sound upon entry. The case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a neck disability as it is unclear whether his current condition is related to his service-connected bilateral shoulder disabilities. The case will be sent back for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist, left wrist, neck, and right shoulder disabilities on a direct basis.,An initial compensable rating of nonallergic rhinitis is denied from April 1, 2022 to May 24, 2023.

The Board has granted service connection for multilevel disc degeneration and disc protrusions of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulder DJD, tinea cruris, tinea pedis, and persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress. The decision is based on credible lay evidence that these conditions began during or are related to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequacies in the VA examinations and lack of consideration of certain evidence. The issues include lumbar spine, cervical spine, left leg, right leg, RLE radiculopathy, and bilateral foot disorders.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, and will need an addendum opinion from the VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to potential toxic exposure in service. The IBS with GERD claim is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations in various service-connected conditions are being remanded due to a pre-decisional error where the VA failed to provide her with scheduled VA examinations. The Veteran is required to be provided additional opportunities for these exams.

The Board remands the claim for a new VA examination to determine the nature and severity of the service-connected fractured C3, cervical strain, anterolisthesis C4 upon C5 (claimed as fractured neck).

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cervical spine condition, left heel condition, left knee strain, left shoulder condition, lumbar spine condition, and left foot condition, all of which are found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating, as his forward flexion was less than 15 degrees and he had other limitations that prevented him from meeting the requirements for a higher rating.

The Veteran's initial rating for low back disability and cervical spine disability was denied. The low back disability did not meet the criteria for a higher than 40 percent rating, while the cervical spine disability prior to October 15, 2019, did not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and migraines are granted service connection as they are at least as likely as not related to her in-service car accidents.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain, right shoulder strain, and cervical strain as the evidence did not establish a causal link between the in-service injuries and current disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for alcohol use disorder and an anxiety disorder, granted service connection for a deviated septum, and granted ratings of 80 percent but no higher for narcolepsy and 20 percent but no higher for dry eye syndrome with arcus senillis.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to service-connected disabilities, but his entitlement to SMC based on housebound status is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine stenosis and degenerative arthritis, finding that new evidence supports a link between his military service and these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to errors in obtaining VA treatment records and opinions. The Veteran is entitled to bilateral hearing loss, but not to left ear hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis. Service connection is granted for plantar warts of the feet. The Board finds that additional medical opinions are needed regarding his knee, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's competent statements about continuity of symptoms.

The Veteran's IBS is currently rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's cervical dysplasia does not require continuous treatment and is therefore rated as noncompensable.