Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the issues of hepatitis C, residuals of a stroke, cervical spine disability, and psychiatric disability. The Board does not have jurisdiction to decide these matters.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are productive of symptoms that more nearly resemble very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks, resulting in severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a cervical spine disability. However, further development is needed to determine if the current cervical spine disability is caused by or aggravated by the service-connected left shoulder disability and to assess the severity of the Veteran's left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including affording the Veteran VA examinations at the Ft. Collins VA Medical Center to ascertain the nature and etiology of his claimed cervical spine disorder.

The Board found no competent or credible evidence linking the Veteran's current cervical spine and knee disabilities to his service, including World War II. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine disability did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not related to active service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, inguinal and cervical lymphadenopathy, GBS, and residuals of an upper respiratory infection to include COPD. The issues were remanded multiple times but ultimately denied due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of pseudofolliculitis barbae and had this condition in service, thus granting service connection.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right and left leg radiculopathies, chronic blood disability, cervical spine disability, thoracic spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be due to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have an upper extremity neurological disorder, to include peripheral neuropathy, left cervical radiculopathy, and left ulnar neuropathy, that is attributable to active duty service or was caused or made worse by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraine headaches, thoracolumbar disorder, and cervical spine disorder have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had unremitting headache symptoms since service and currently has diagnosed migraine headaches related to service. For the thoracolumbar and cervical spine disorders, the Board noted current diagnoses but was unable to provide a nexus opinion without resorting to speculation.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine disability is not related to his military service and has denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability and cervical spine disability, as there was no in-service injury or disease that led to these conditions. The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the current disabilities were caused by or related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and increased rating claims related to hypertension, cervical spine disability, right patella chondromalacia, and left patella chondromalacia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current disabilities, including memory loss, neurological problems, cervical stenosis, and residuals of a thoracic spine compression fracture, are not related to his service-connected conditions or an in-service incident involving elevated arsenic levels. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's DISH syndrome of the cervical spine and left hip, as well as his esophagus problems, are not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's cervical and thoracic spine disabilities are being considered for service connection, but the Board is unable to definitively determine if they are related to his military service or a service-connected condition. The VA examiner will provide an updated opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and his claims for service connection of various knee, back, ankle, and hip disorders are reopened. The effective date remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities rendered him unemployable from September 28, 2004 to August 3, 2011. The Board granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.