Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability but denied service connection for a cardiac disability, including Wolfe-Parkinson-White syndrome. The decision is mixed as it grants one claim and denies another.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his lumbar and cervical spine disorders have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that a 40 percent disability rating for right cervical radiculopathy is warranted effective October 27, 1983, based on the severity of symptoms and manifestations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine disability, finding that there was no credible evidence of continuity of symptomatology from service to the present time and concluding that the current cervical spine disability is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations under applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for his left shoulder tear, cervical radiculopathy, and cervical myositis are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and affording the Veteran a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine disorder (disc disease) had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has not made a determination on the service connection for cervical spine, DDD due to conflicting medical opinions. The right shoulder disorder claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the July 1979 rating decision that reduced the Veteran's low back strain and cervical strain ratings from 10% to 0%. The decision concluded that the reduction was proper based on the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to comply with previous instructions and lack of etiology opinion. The Veteran's claim for service connection is still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional service personnel and treatment records to verify the appellant's periods of service and any diseases or injuries sustained in the line of duty. The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder and cervical spine disorder will be reviewed based on the newly obtained evidence.

The Veteran's cervical strain is not related to his military service or the service-connected thoracolumbar strain. The Veteran's low back disorder has not been manifested by disability equating to limitation of flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes was denied, as his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. The claims for service connection of cervical spine and left arm/shoulder disabilities were also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, headaches, and a disorder manifested as chest pains.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected cervical strain is being remanded to allow for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to June 25, 2007 and increased to 20 percent from that date. The rating is based on the severity of his symptoms and physical examination findings.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's current cervical spine disability has been evaluated based on its direct relationship to his active service.