Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The veteran's service-connected cervical spine arthritis is manifested by combined range of motion of the cervical spine greater than 170 degrees but not greater than 335 degrees, which does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining new and material evidence to reopen claims for service connection for left knee disability, left wrist disability, and cervical spine disability. The VA will also obtain a medical examination of the veteran's neck.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and dorsal spine disabilities were denied. The RO found that the disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left lower extremity neural impairment, sleep disturbances due to pain from service-connected disabilities, and headaches. The veteran's claim for increased rating for cholinergic urticaria was also denied.

The veteran's service-connected cervical spine disorder resulted in a rating of 10 percent prior to November 1, 2007. After that date, the disability was rated at 20 percent. The veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for his cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and service connection for traumatic arthritis of the cervical and lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board finds that the veteran's degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine were incurred during his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran is unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and thus grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing an orthopedic examination to determine if the veteran's cervical spine disorders are related to his time in service or secondary to his service-connected mechanical low back pain with sacro-iliac arthritis.

The Board found that a cervical spine disorder was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not related to any in-service injury. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 40 percent effective December 5, 2005 and in excess of 20 percent effective December 29, 2006.,The veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 20 percent effective December 5, 2005 and in excess of 10 percent effective August 1, 2002.,The veteran's thoracic spine disability was rated at 10 percent effective August 1, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder and increased ratings for post-traumatic headaches and scar over the right eye. The veteran's claim for service connection was not granted, as there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service. His rating for post-traumatic headaches from March 1, 2001 through June 22, 2006 was increased to 50 percent, and the ratings for scar over the right eye were maintained at 30 percent prior to August 30, 2002 and then reduced to 30 percent from that date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability is attributable to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as systemic osteopenia. The conditions are rated based on their current manifestations without any presumption or secondary theory of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for heart condition, systemic nerve damage, stenosis of the lumbar canal with associated right sided sciatica and loss of use of legs with numbness, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, residuals of chronic prostatitis with retractable testicles, painful erection/ejaculation, and depression.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities of the spine have been rated as noncompensable (0%) and denied for increased ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and hands, as well as arthritis of the hands with ulnar neuropathy, both secondary to his service-connected low back disability. The VA examiner found no evidence linking these conditions directly to the service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding no competent medical evidence linking it to his military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of her lumbar spine sprain and cervical spine strain have been denied. The lumbar spine condition remains at a 40% evaluation, while the cervical spine condition was granted to a 30% evaluation from June 29, 1993 through November 12, 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability manifested by a scar, dorsum laceration of the nose. The claim for service connection for bone spurs causing chronic cervical myelopathy and cord atrophy with lower extremity spasticity is denied as there is no evidence linking this condition to military service.