Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remanded entitlement to service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis and bilateral upper extremity conditions for further development. The Board found new and relevant evidence warranted readjudication of the cervical spine claim and identified duty to assist errors in obtaining SSA records and obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for neck, right and left knee, and right and left foot disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions that did not address the Veteran's lay statements or mechanism of injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical strain, back disability, right hip osteoarthritis, and right shoulder tear due to a need for new VA medical opinions that adequately address the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for a TDIU and service connection for left shoulder, neck, and back disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder strain and degenerative arthritis as there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a neck disability, finding that February 3, 2023, is the proper effective date.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, left foot pes planus, left shoulder disability, left knee disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for cervical strain with spondylosis and restored the 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain with lumbar disc disease, while denying higher ratings for all other conditions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of various conditions to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the October 2021 rating decision and the July 2022 HLR rating decision on appeal.

The Board denied the applications to revise a March 2021 rating decision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) for various claims of service connection, finding no evidence that the correct facts were not before the RO or that the applicable statutory and regulatory provisions were incorrectly applied.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for service connection for neck/cervical strain, mid/low back pain, and bilateral knee pain were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The claim for colitis was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and cervical spine spondylosis with myelopathy, status post discectomy, decompression and fusion.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left hip disability, left shoulder disability, back disability, cervical spine disability, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of these conditions or their relation to active-duty service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for bilateral arm pain, bilateral shoulder strains, cervical strain, and bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various radiculopathies and granted an initial 30 percent rating for cervical spine intervertebral disc syndrome, spondylolisthesis and residual status post cervical spine fusion with hardware, as well as a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bowel inconsistency, restrictive food intake disorder, a bilateral ankle condition, a neck disorder, and a heart disorder as the evidence does not reflect that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of these disorders. The claim for PTSD due to military sexual trauma was denied based on the lack of a current diagnosis.

The Board granted a 30 percent initial rating for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for cervical strain and a compensable rating for ventral hernia, and denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The appeal for service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease other than IVDS, spinal fusion, and spinal stenosis, and for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis has been withdrawn and dismissed.