Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical dysplasia and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations.

The Veteran seeks to establish service connection for a cervical spine disorder, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected grand mal seizures. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board has found that the ratings assigned to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine degenerative joint disease and L5-S1 degenerative disc disease were erroneously combined into a singular rating. The case is remanded for separate adjudication of these conditions.

The Veteran does not have degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine that is related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that were incurred or aggravated by service, and arthritis is not presumed.

The Veteran's claim for non-service-connected pension benefits was denied because the evidence did not show that he is permanently and totally disabled from disabilities not due to his own willful misconduct.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders were denied in a February 1991 rating decision. The effective date of the awards was set at September 26, 1994.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, left leg disability, back disability, neck disability, right ear hearing loss, left knee instability, and arthritis. The Veteran's claims for a separate rating for left knee arthritis and a higher evaluation for left knee meniscal tear are also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's herniated nucleus pulposus, stenosis, degenerative joint disease, and degenerative disc disease at the C5-C6 interspace, as well as his right shoulder myofasciitis with arthritis secondary to right cervical spine radiculopathy, were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The Board found insufficient evidence to support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for right hand, back and neck disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's claim was previously denied in February 1996 as there was no post-service clinical diagnosis of a right hand disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the cervical spine issue during a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The Board dismissed this issue as a result.

The Veteran has withdrawn all of his claims, including the ones seeking service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders and an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for chronic facial dermatitis.

The appellant's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic cervical spine disability is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such a condition.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete information and need for additional development, including verification of periods of active duty for training in 1987 and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical dysplasia is denied as there is no current evidence of the condition. The Veteran's psychiatric disability warrants staged increased ratings prior to April 5, 2010 and a rating in excess of 70 percent from that date is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected C5-6 cervical ankylosis, status post vertebrae compression fracture was granted effective December 2, 2010.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disability (CAD), and migraine headaches are all found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse. The musculoskeletal disabilities are also found to be related to the service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The claims for sleep apnea and headaches are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development of his claims, including obtaining updated treatment records and considering all evidence received since November 25, 2008.