Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for a neck disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy. The claims are being remanded due to incomplete information about the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability, including evaluations for DDD with IVDS and associated neurological abnormalities. The remand requires obtaining VA treatment records from VistA, BAMC, and private providers, as well as obtaining retrospective medical opinions regarding the severity of the disabilities prior to January 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence added since the last decision and an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's neck condition.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for various rating and effective date claims due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's neck disability and back disability are rated at 20 percent, but no higher. Service connection for lumbar degenerative joint disease and radiculopathy is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for cervical spine arthritis and left shoulder arthritis due to new evidence provided in February 2018. However, the claims remain denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for insomnia has been reopened, and the Board finds new and material evidence to support this claim. The earlier effective date claims are also remanded due to incomplete VA records and potential errors in record association.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to insufficient reasoning in a previous decision. The case is returned for further proceedings, including clarification of the June 2020 VA examiner's opinion regarding the cervical spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability, finding that it is not secondary to his service-connected back and/or right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of her appeals.

The Board has remanded the case for additional VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claims on appeal, including his neck disability, left shoulder disability, nerve disorder of the left upper extremity, and left elbow disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disorder, bladder disorder, and respiratory disorder (chronic bronchitis) due to incomplete opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, shortness of breath, headaches, and shoulder, neck, lumbar spine, and leg disabilities, should be remanded due to lack of reliable audiometric testing results and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 30, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, and depression, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for chronic joint pain in various body parts, including cervical spine disability. The Veteran's claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has remanded the service connection claim for urinary incontinence, as well as claims for increased ratings for cervical spine disability and radiculopathy. The Veteran's MDD is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for peripheral vestibular disorder, right-hand disability, neck disability, and left knee disability due to lack of nexus opinions addressing in-service events or injuries.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis and right upper extremity radiculopathy were denied increased ratings as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted as service-connected due to a congenital defect superimposed by an in-service injury. The thoracolumbar spine disorder claim is remanded for further examination and opinion.