Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, is found to be related to her active-duty service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's cervical spine disability and her active-duty service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various conditions, including high cholesterol, bilateral hearing loss, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, cervical spine disability, right arm numbness, left arm numbness, right lower extremity numbness, and hypertension. The claims are pending further review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and radiculopathy due to a cervical spine disability. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development including obtaining a VA examination.

The Veteran's cervical degenerative disc disease and degenerative disc disease at L5-S1 are found to be etiologically related to active service, with the Board granting entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU is denied as the earliest effective date allowable for the grant of a TDIU is January 28, 2021 due to service connection for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD with panic attacks was granted effective January 29, 2021.,The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain and cervical strain were granted effective November 13, 2020.,The Veteran's claims for left upper extremity radiculopathy and right upper extremity radiculopathy were granted as secondary to the service-connected cervical strain.

The Veteran's cervical neuropathy, LUE, with spotty hypesthesia left forearm (residuals of Hansen's disease), previously rated as (spotty hypesthesia left forearm (residuals of Hansen's disease)), is denied a rating higher than 20 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy (sciatic) of each LE, with spotty hypesthesia, dorsum of foot, leg, and thigh (residuals of Hansen's disease now claimed as Leprosy), is denied ratings higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's spotty hypesthesia involving the right cheek (residuals of Hansen's disease) is denied a compensable rating.,The Veteran's loss of smell (residuals of Hansen's disease also claimed as leprosy) is denied an initial compensable rating.,The Veteran's loss of taste (residuals of Hansen's disease also claimed as leprosy) is denied an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for his cervical spine, lumbar spine, upper extremity, and lower extremity radiculopathies are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for acute cervical sprain is granted. Service connection for a cervical spine disability other than degenerative arthritis (including cervical spondylosis, stenosis and radiculitis) is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Board has granted readjudication for service connection claims related to BPH, cervical spine spondylosis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to receipt of new evidence. Service connection is now established for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for the cervical spine disability was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.,An initial 10 percent rating, but no higher, is granted for the lumbar scar. The Veteran has a painful scar on his lumbar midline.

The Veteran's eye condition, myopic astigmatism, is not service-connected as it was present prior to service and no superimposed disease or injury occurred during service.,There is no evidence of a current chronic headache disorder related to the Veteran's service. The Veteran's migraine headaches are not service-connected.,Hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown in service, did not manifest within a presumptive period, and there was no continuity of symptomatology attributable to service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected as it is not related to any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to obtain examinations for all claimed disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine (back) disability and remanded the issues of service connection for cervical spine, right knee, left knee, right foot, and left foot disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, left wrist, and right wrist have been granted. The Veteran's knee conditions are rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current neck disability is related to his military service, and thus granted service connection for a neck disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of bladder cancer, cervical spine disability, back disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with the back disability is granted effective June 30, 1989. The claims for erectile dysfunction are denied prior to August 27, 2020.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's cervical strain may be related to his service, but needs further evidence to make a determination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service connection claims, including for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) with essential tremors, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus type II.