Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board found no causal link between the Veteran's current cervical strain and service, and denied her claim for service connection. The Board also found no causal link between her current overuse syndrome of the bilateral feet and service, and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating in excess of 20 percent for his neck disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling an appropriate VA examination.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right cervical radiculopathy since July 3, 2014. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left knee disorders as well as an increased rating for migraine headaches. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed again with additional evidence and/or development.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic cervical spine disability in service or within one year after discharge, and concluded that the current condition is not related to service. The Veteran's hypertension was also not shown during active service or for at least one year post-service.,Service connection cannot be granted as there is insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to her military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability has been reopened, but the issue remains denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to his current condition. The cervical spine disability was not incurred in service and is not related to any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a maximum schedular evaluation of 50 percent for posttraumatic headaches effective from April 13, 2007. The Board also found that referral for an extraschedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(1) is not warranted in conjunction with the service-connected posttraumatic headaches. Additionally, a TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The effective date issues are not before the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for endocervical polyps and uterine fibroids, finding that the Veteran did not have these conditions during the appeal period. Service connection was granted for residuals of a hysterectomy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated clinical records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn due to his satisfaction with the current evaluations for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and left upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an updated assessment of his eligibility for vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits, given changes in his employment status and combined evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred at Providence Centralia Hospital is being remanded due to the lack of relevant records. The AOJ will obtain any missing treatment records and daily notes from November 19-20, 2012.

The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine and upper extremity radiculopathy were rated based on their respective conditions, with the right and left upper extremities receiving separate ratings. The Veteran received increased ratings for his upper extremity radiculopathy from September 26, 2014.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and LUE radiculopathy were granted initial ratings of 30 percent effective October 28, 2011.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and was not caused or aggravated by her service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), back disorder, left and right knee disorders, left lower leg varicose veins, Achilles tendinitis with left ankle sprain and Achilles tendinitis of the right ankle.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities, but denied service connection for hypertension, GERD, a spinal disorder, and ED. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military noise exposure. Service connection was not established for hypertension or GERD as they are not related to diabetes mellitus. Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity and right lower extremity were granted initial evaluations of 40 percent each.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is not service-connected, as there is no evidence linking his current condition to an in-service injury. The cervical spine and right shoulder disorders are currently under consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and cervical dystonia, both of which were found to be not related to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran was also denied a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.