Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are causally related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical and lumbosacral spine DDD were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are not related to service, including his in-service injuries. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered alone and in combination with his non-service connected conditions, do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred or aggravated in active service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board is reopening the claims for service connection for low back and right knee disabilities, but remanding them to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development. The Veteran's left knee disability, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right knee disabilities are being examined again due to new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and will seek additional information from the appropriate custodians.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability is related to service, but his claims for headaches and dizziness are remanded as he did not provide sufficient evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's PTSD and cervical spine conditions, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling appropriate examinations. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a left shoulder disorder and by inference also considered the cervical spine. New evidence was received since January 2003, which relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for generalized arthritis and increased rating for lumbar degenerative joint and disc disease was denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of generalized arthritis, and the cervical spondylosis did not have its onset during active military service or otherwise relate to active military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine and left shoulder disorders, as secondary to his service-connected right humerus fracture residuals. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was found to not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to September 13, 2011. From that date forward, it did not meet the criteria for a 20 percent rating.

The Board denied service connection for asthma/sinusitis, cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the current disabilities of the knees, low back, and neck are unrelated to an injury, disease, or event in service.

The Board denied service connection for neck, right shoulder, and back disabilities as they were not incurred or aggravated during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Board found no evidence of a neck disability during active federal service, and the current neck disability is not shown to be related to service-connected back disability. Therefore, service connection for the neck disability is denied.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for examinations by a neurologist and an orthopedist, as requested in previous remands. The Veteran's claims of service connection for head trauma residuals and cervical spine disorder will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied all claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability to which his complaints could be attributed and that any symptoms he experienced were already contemplated in the existing ratings for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy.