Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and cervicogenic headaches, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to an in-service football injury.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and TDIU due to unverified periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT), as well as a lack of complete service treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee, a cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the right and left upper extremities, alopecia totalis, a right hip disability, a left hip disability, a right elbow disability, a right shoulder disability, and a left shoulder disability.

The Board remands the claims for additional evidence and a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder, cervical, and back conditions were proximately caused by his participation in the VA CWT program.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for the remaining conditions.

The appeal for a compensable disability rating for ulcerative colitis was withdrawn and dismissed, while the Veteran's entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical spine strain, left upper extremity peripheral nerve condition, and right upper extremity peripheral nerve condition.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a neck disability, as the VA examinations obtained by the AOJ are inadequate and do not provide an adequate rationale regarding whether the Veteran's neck disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected back disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left knee, right wrist, left wrist, lung condition, mental health condition (anxiety and depression), thoracolumbar spine, cervical spine, plantar fasciitis, and migraine due to a lack of evidence supporting current disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for chronic pain and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability and denied higher initial ratings for shoulder, TBI, and cervical spine disabilities. Other claims were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for migraines and a neck disability, finding no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrence. The claim for an acquired mental health condition was remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, 30 percent for headaches, and 10 percent for cervical strain, as well as entitlement to TDIU, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The veteran has formally requested the withdrawal of all pending appeals before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic sinusitis, and lumbosacral strain but granted service connection for dermatitis as secondary to allergic rhinitis. The Board also granted a separate 10 percent rating for left foot plantar fasciitis and a 20 percent rating for cervical strain from May 31, 2024.

The Board remands the claim for a neck disorder (claimed as cervical/neck strain) for a VA examination to determine its etiology, as it finds that an examination is warranted based on the Veteran's lay statements and evidence of record.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine strain, left and right upper extremity radiculopathy, migraine headaches, and depressive disorder, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's depressive disorder alone rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and she is entitled to a TDIU for accrued benefits purposes on and from December 19, 2015. Additionally, the Veteran meets the criteria for SMC based on statutory housebound criteria for accrued benefits purposes.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for neck and low back disabilities due to insufficient information in previous examinations.