Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed as she withdrew her appeal for the issues related to cervical spine degenerative changes.

The Board found that the veteran's left knee disorder existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service. The lumbar spine and cervical spine disorders were not shown to be incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability, left arm disability, and bipolar disorder. The claim for low back disability was not addressed as it had been previously denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a cervical spine or numbness of bilateral lower extremities disability that was caused or aggravated by his service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for Gulf War Syndrome, fibromyalgia, a disability of the nervous system, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, gastric disability, liver disability, and kidney disability. The reasons given were that the veteran did not serve in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War and Gulf War Syndrome is not considered a recognized condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine condition, bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo. The veteran did not meet the criteria for these conditions during or after his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and effective dates for his service-connected disabilities, including right eye retinitis/sarcoid uveitis, pes planus, and a scar in the area of the right forehead.

The Board finds that the veteran's osteoarthritis of multiple joints, including his cervical spine, lumbar spine, knees, hands, and feet, is related to his active military service. The appeal for this issue is granted.

The Board has found the evidence currently of record sufficient to establish the veteran's entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability with radiculopathy of both arms, as these conditions are directly related to his service-connected sarcoma of the right fibula and arthritis of the left knee.

The Board denied service connection for both the thoracic spine condition (claimed as residuals of a back injury) and the cervical spine condition, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence to show pre-service existence or aggravation during service. The veteran's current conditions are considered to be due to his own development over time.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice, particularly regarding service connection for cause of death and non-service connected pension claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. For his neck disability, the evidence shows that he incurred such during active duty but there is no clear medical opinion linking it to service. Service connection is granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his medical records.

The veteran's claims for service connection and an increased rating for PTSD are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine, bilateral knee, bilateral ankle, and left foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further action, including scheduling a hearing before the Board.

The Board has denied the veteran's petitions to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for rectal bleeding, cervical and thoracolumbar spine disability(ies), anxiety disorder, tailbone pain, and hernia. The appeals were based on new evidence not previously considered by VA.

The Board found that the veteran's current lumbar, cervical, thoracic spine, bilateral shoulder, bilateral hip, and bilateral leg disabilities are not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board found that the veteran's current cervical spine disorder did not have onset during active service and is not otherwise related to his service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability was initially rated at 10 percent and increased to 20 percent effective March 19, 2008. The claim for uterine fibroids resulted in a noncompensable rating. The cervical spine disability warranted a separate 10 percent evaluation for right L4-5 radiculopathy. No higher evaluations were granted for the other service-connected conditions.