Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the issues for further development and adjudication, including obtaining outstanding medical records and providing VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for a back condition and a neck condition, but remanded the claims for a right knee condition and sinusitis.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability and headache disability (migraines) as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or functional impairment of earning capacity. The claims for insomnia, right knee disability, and left knee disability were remanded for further development.

The Veteran is granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board denied increased ratings for asthma with COPD, bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left and right knee disabilities, and left and right ankle disabilities. However, TDIU was granted.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, cervical strain, chronic sinusitis, and lumbosacral strain due to a procedural error in the Veteran's appeal. The claim for a migraine or headache condition was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, a 70 percent initial rating for PTSD since July 1, 2014, and a 10 percent rating for TMJ with bruxism. The remaining claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, cervical strain, sleep apnea, and chronic sinusitis on a presumptive basis. It also granted initial disability ratings of 10 percent or higher for certain hip and lumbosacral conditions.

The Board remands the claim for a neck disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors as the VA examinations are inadequate.

The Board denied service connection for being underweight and remanded the claims for a cervical spine disorder, iron deficiency (anemia), and vitamin D deficiency due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination and opinion to correct a duty to assist error regarding direct service connection, and also requests an opinion regarding secondary service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, higher ratings, and service connection for various conditions, except for migraine including migraine variants and bilateral pterygium with significant dry eye keratopathy and early senile cataracts which were granted with specific effective dates.

The Board granted service connection for cervical dysplasia and headaches, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right hip disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including back, neck, knee, upper and lower extremity neurological, kidney, bowel blockage, skin cancer, and hemorrhoids, due to missing records and inadequate development of evidence.

The Board determined that new and relevant evidence had not been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for compensation pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a cervical spine disability and residuals of a traumatic brain injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation higher than moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, higher ratings, and a combined evaluation, as well as service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not cause the level of impairment required for a higher rating.

The Veteran is granted a 30 percent rating for cervical spondylosis from November 18, 2009, to September 9, 2018, and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Board granted an effective date of February 29, 2024, for the award of increased ratings for cervical strain, right shoulder strain, bilateral pes planus with bilateral metatarsalgia, left knee strain, and common headaches.