Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, the maximum rating assignable for limitation of motion. The Board finds no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine, right shoulder, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disorder and a right elbow disorder were also addressed but are pending on remand.

The Board found that there is no evidence showing arthritis of the cervical spine manifested within one year after service, and thus cannot be presumed. The Veteran's current degenerative joint disease was not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome has been denied as there is no current diagnosis or symptoms of the condition. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 24, 2010.

The Board found no evidence of a current cervical/gynecological condition or respiratory disease, to include COPD, and determined that the Veteran's assertions regarding in-service conditions were not supported by competent medical evidence.,Service connection was denied for both the cervical/gynecological condition and the respiratory disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vision disorder, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were denied as there was no evidence of a claim prior to November 1, 2001.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from private healthcare providers and seeking reasonable efforts to obtain these records. The Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine and low back disabilities have not met the criteria for higher initial disability ratings from September 26, 2003.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical development and readjudication of his claims.

The Board found no current disability of the shins or cervical spine, and thus denied service connection for shin splints and a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine disability and hypertension has been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current lumbar spine, cervical spine, and left knee disabilities are not related to service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions had their onset in service or within one year following service discharge.

The Board determined that a disability of the cervical spine, specifically cervical strain, was not shown to have had onset during service or be otherwise related to an injury in service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing neck fracture may have been aggravated by an in-service injury, but there is not clear and unmistakable evidence to support this. The claim for service connection for other cervical spine disabilities remains unresolved.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disorders, as well as secondary radiculopathy. The cervical spine disorder was deemed not incurred in service due to lack of pre-existing condition noted at entry, while the thoracolumbar spine disorders were found unrelated to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine. The case is being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and missing VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability does not warrant a higher initial rating of 10% or 20% prior to and since March 7, 2011 respectively.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss, headache disability, cervical spine disorder, and visual impairment are not related to his service from September 1981 to September 1985.