Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded several claims for service connection, including those for seizures, loss of bladder control (urinary tract condition), hemorrhoids, psychiatric disorder, tinnitus, residuals of left Achilles tendon tear, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and stress fractures of both feet. The decision also addressed whether the Veteran's character of discharge is a bar to VA compensation benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his left knee disorder, cervical spine disorder, and scar above right eye. The issues have been returned to the RO for further evaluation.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability and a cervical spine disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities due to incomplete service treatment records. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining missing active duty STRs and determining whether additional VA examinations or medical opinions are necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.,His cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral knee disabilities preclude him from performing the physical activities of his past work.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting comprehensive VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or an earlier effective date in several areas, including cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's headache disability is granted a 10 percent rating effective April 24, 2023. The neck disability and upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities are each granted an additional 10 percent rating effective September 6, 2022.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and left shoulder disabilities due to a failure to obtain all relevant medical records, particularly physical therapy records. The claims are also being remanded for new VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cervical spine arthritis is not related to service, including Agent Orange exposure or secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine osteoarthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show he was completely unemployable.

The Board has determined that additional evidence was received after the last decision and remanded for consideration. The Veteran's claims of service connection, rating increases, effective dates, and total disability ratings are being returned to the AOJ for review.

The Board granted a separate rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy as of June 3, 2019. The effective date was set at September 25, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his cervical spine strain is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and authorization of private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for a disability of the cervical segment of the spine, finding that there was no evidence to support the Veteran's claim and concluding that his current neck condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD prevents him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU. Additionally, his additional service-connected disabilities meet the requirements for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s)(1).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.