Neck / cervical spine decisions — 2026

The Board has denied service connection for neck and back disabilities, but has remanded the claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for right radial styloid fracture.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathies, is granted as service connected. The issues of right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left wrist fracture, bilateral hearing loss, Type II diabetes, bilateral glaucoma, OSA, cervical disc herniation, and other musculoskeletal issues are denied.,Service connection is not established for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, migraine headache disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to inadequate medical opinions.,Further examinations are needed to determine if the Veteran's conditions had their clinical onset during service or are related to her period of active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities due to errors in development of the claim. The Veteran's current spinal conditions include degenerative arthritis, disc disease, spinal fusion, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and scoliosis.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and C8-T1 radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities did not have their onset in service or were otherwise related to service.

The Board has granted an effective date of April 6, 2018 for the award of service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, thoracolumbar levoscoliosis with advanced multilevel DDD and facet arthropathy (low back disability), and cervical spine disability to include cervicalgia (neck disability) due to a lack of VA examination records and an incomplete review of service treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI and mouth injury have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection has not been established for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis, cervical spine, or OSA due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address the Veteran's use of medication and its impact on his disability ratings.,The effective dates for service connection remain July 25, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, TBI (head injury), cervical spine disability (neck injury), and vertigo have been denied. The Board has found that there is insufficient competent medical evidence to support these claims.,A VA examination is required to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, low back disability, bilateral upper extremity peripheral nerve disability, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral nerve disability. The conditions are related to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not found to be secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities. The right total knee arthroplasty and left knee conditions are rated at the maximum available under VA regulations, with no further increase warranted based on current evidence. Bilateral hearing loss does not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip condition, lumbosacral condition (lower back pain), and cervical strain due to potential duty-related injuries or aggravation of existing conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip condition, lumbosacral condition (lower back pain), and cervical strain due to potential duty-related injuries or aggravation of existing conditions.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, and the case is inextricably intertwined with his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeals for increased rating of PTSD, service connection for right elbow disability, muscle/joint pain, and chronic fatigue have been dismissed due to his withdrawal at a January 2025 Board hearing.,Service connection has been granted for IBS on a presumptive basis as a qualifying chronic disability under the Gulf War category.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck condition was previously denied in May 2015. New evidence submitted within one year of the denial did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim. The Veteran filed a Supplemental Claim seeking service connection, but it was dismissed as untimely.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cervical strain and right knee strain are inadequate, and thus remands are necessary to obtain new, adequate opinions.