Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right hand disability, cervical spine disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking service connection for multiple conditions, including a speech disorder, cervical spine disorder, TBI, visual impairment, and vestibular disorder.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disability, neck disability, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper extremities to correct a duty to assist error.

The Board denied the claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating. The claims for service connection for various leg and foot disabilities were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, left hip disability, and neck disability, all to include bursitis and arthritis.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for a neck disability and a right shoulder disability due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including headaches, tinnitus, cervical degenerative disc disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and others, as there was no evidence of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury relating to these disabilities.

The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for his service-connected cervical strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, but the Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection.

The Board granted service connection for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Agoraphobia as well as cervical spine strain, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right and left lower extremity radiculopathy. A 40 percent rating was assigned for gastritis.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and meniscal tear, cervical spine degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis based on the Veteran's credible statements and a private medical opinion.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for cervical spine, low back, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left knee, and sleep apnea based on new and relevant evidence.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical spine, right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder arthritis, left and right shoulder instability, and a right shoulder scar disabilities but granted restoration of the 20 percent rating for right shoulder instability.

The Board granted service connection for left knee, right knee, cervical spine, and eczema disabilities based on evidence showing their onset during the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation, a compensable rating for his neck scar, and higher ratings for various service-connected conditions.

The Veteran was granted an increased initial disability rating of 30 percent for a neck disability, and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance from April 27, 2013 to July 14, 2020. The claims for higher ratings for left and right upper extremity cervical radiculopathy were denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sciatica and remanded the claims for cervicalgia and cervical radiculopathy due to a need for additional evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, left upper extremity (LUE) radiculopathy, right upper extremity (RUE) radiculopathy, and tinnitus based on the evidence showing onset during active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine disability, to include degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and spinal stenosis. The claim for headaches was dismissed as moot after the March 2025 rating decision awarded service connection for migraine (claimed as tension headaches).

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a neck disability due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left upper extremity radiculopathy and cervical spinal stenosis with degenerative disc disease, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.