Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has found that the Veteran's neck disability did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service, and arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a neck disability is denied.

The Board found no injury or disease involving the neck during any qualifying period of service, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The case is being remanded for further development, including determining the duties performed during the Veteran's ADSW service and obtaining VA treatment records. Additionally, a VA examination will be scheduled to assess the relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his active service.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea is causally related to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and an internal medicine specialist opinion regarding whether his combined disability picture prevents him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back and neck disabilities did not manifest during or as a result of active military service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including consideration of new evidence and a VA examination. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again to determine if he is entitled to benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA social and industrial survey to assess employment capacity and a VA examination by a physiatrist to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's upper trapezius strain/cervicalgia has been rated at 10 percent since October 2007, with a combined range of motion of 310 degrees.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The claims of service connection for migraine headaches, major depressive disorder, degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with musculoskeletal strain of the lumbosacral spine, and musculoskeletal strain of the cervical spine with degenerative changes are still pending.

The reduction of the disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent to noncompensable was proper. The Veteran's cervical spine and left upper extremity disabilities are remanded for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected conditions. The issues on appeal include increased evaluations for PTSD, MDD, cervical spine DDD, and erosive reflux esophagitis; entitlement to TDIU; and service connection for constipation.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not present until after discharge from service and is not otherwise related to service.

The Board is remanding the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to the need for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied reopening claims for cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities, as well as service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and numbness of the fingers. The Veteran's appeal was not successful in these matters.

The Veteran's headaches, hypertension, and cervical spine disorder are all found to be service-connected. The headaches have been linked to in-service symptoms, the hypertension is presumed to have manifested within one year of separation from service, and the cervical spine disorder is considered a chronic condition that has persisted since service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer residuals, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and other conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the claim of entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, and neuropathy/sciatica of the lower extremities were denied. The Board found no evidence that these disabilities had their onset in or were related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, osteoarthritis of the right and left first MTP joints are related to service. The issues regarding secondary service connection for these conditions remain under review.