Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, a psychiatric disorder, and a cervical spine disorder. The claim for severance of service connection for cervicogenic headaches was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability, secondary to left retinal detachment from a car accident, was denied. The Board found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim but continued denial of service connection.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was also denied as there is no evidence of such condition in service or within one year post-service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for low back disability and cervical spine disorder are both denied.,Service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, intestinal issue, right hand disability, and left hand disability are all denied.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claim for service connection of a cervical spine disability was granted. The initial rating for major depressive disorder (prior to September 27, 2018) is increased to 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and the need for a VA examination. The issues of cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right foot disability secondary to lumbar spine disability are being reviewed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or chronic condition related to these disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and cervical spine disability, as well as his request for an increased rating for lumbar strain. The effective date of the grant of a 20% evaluation for lumbar strain was not granted.

The Board has remanded several claims for service connection due to the lack of a separation examination report. The Veteran's active service from May 1989 to May 1993 is noted, and he elected to have a separation medical examination prior to his discharge.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the entire body and degenerative disc disease of the cervical and thoracic spine, finding that his conditions are less likely than not due to or aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, including pain and radiculopathy, as secondary to his service-connected chronic bilateral knee strain due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the condition.

The Veteran's right ankle scar is rated at 0 percent, and a higher rating is denied.,PTSD remains rated at 70 percent, with no higher rating granted.,Prior to October 16, 2018, the lumbar spine disability was rated at 20 percent; as of that date, it is rated at 40 percent.,The Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction are not rated higher than 20 percent.,A higher rating for a left eye disability is denied.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, right eye disability, chest disability, and headache disability remains remanded.,Service connection for cervical spine disability, right ankle disability, right knee disability from March 1, 2014 to September 15, 2015, left knee disability, and a temporary 100 percent rating based on surgical treatment for the right knee requiring convalescence are all remanded.,Effective dates prior to specific dates for service connection grants or increased ratings are also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability is granted as new and material evidence has been submitted. However, the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current cervical spine disability is related to service.,Service connection for aggravation of sleep apnea by service-connected lumbar spine and radiculopathy disabilities is granted in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of his claimed conditions are related to military service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all four issues has been dismissed due to the Veteran requesting a withdrawal of his appeals.

The Veteran's rating for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) was reduced from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective September 1, 2018. The Board found that this reduction was void ab initio due to a failure to apply the correct criteria and restored the original rating.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided for the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative joint disease (DJD) and bilateral hearing loss are inadequate. The Veteran also raised a claim of entitlement to TDIU, which is inextricably intertwined with the other issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine (cervical arthritis) as secondary to a service-connected lumbosacral myofascial syndrome due to insufficient evidence and failure to address causation and aggravation separately.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including stomach pain, restless leg syndromes, and a right shoulder disability. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, as he has worked full-time since March 2009 and continues to work in administrative positions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and a temporary total rating for disability of the cervical spine due to incomplete development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination.