Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spondylosis and headaches, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current neck and back disabilities are not shown to be due to any event or incident of his service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability was received on July 10, 1986. The Board accepted jurisdiction over the issue and granted service connection in April 2005 with an effective date of June 16, 2004.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was initially rated at 10 percent from May 6, 2004 to August 1, 2008 and increased to 20 percent since August 2, 2008. The rating is based on the severity of his symptoms as per VA criteria for spinal disorders.

The VA determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, determining SSA disability benefits status, scheduling a VA orthopedic examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for a sinus disorder and a cervical spine disorder, as the preponderance of the evidence does not link these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine has been evaluated at a 10 percent rating since September 1, 2006. The evidence does not support an increase to a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development of her medical records and an orthopedic examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fibromyalgia is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right knee strain with degenerative disc disease and cervical spine disc disease are service-connected, as they are related to his in-service injuries. His allergic rhinitis is also service-connected.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 80 percent, but she is not found to be unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck and low back disabilities are not related to his military service or caused by his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated treatment reports and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his cervical and lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities made him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment as of June 24, 2003. The Board granted an effective date of June 24, 2003 for the TDIU rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected cervical spine, right arm, and right leg disabilities due to lack of compliance with scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's right hip disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately compensates for his functional loss due to painful motion. The cervical spine disability has not been service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to be the primary cause of his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities. The Board grants service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected diabetes.

The Board has determined that a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not warranted as his condition does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable rating schedule. The current 40 percent rating adequately compensates him for his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has found support for a grant of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, as secondary to the service-connected right knee disability. The cervical spine condition is currently under consideration and will be addressed in the REMAND portion.