Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability and remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, urinary incontinence, and cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's cervical strain disability is granted as service-connected. The appeals for arthritis of the right hand, left hand, right elbow, and left elbow are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's interstitial cystitis and cervical radiculopathy right upper extremity are granted service connection as they were incurred during active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of back and neck disabilities due to improvement in his conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the etiology of his cervical spine disability, assess the severity of his lumbar spondylosis, right knee strain, left knee degenerative joint disease, and TDIU. The issues on appeal include service connection for a cervical spine disability, increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis, right knee strain, and left knee degenerative joint disease, as well as TDIU.

The Board has granted restoration of the reduced ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, but remanded for further development regarding increased rating claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent sinusitis and cervical spine disability due to a lack of verification of his service in the Southwest Asia theater during the Persian Gulf War. The Veteran is also seeking presumptive service connection based on environmental exposures, but this claim is being remanded as well.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder and schizoaffective disorder, depressive type; chronic sinus and allergy disability; obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB); right foot and left foot disabilities; right knee and left knee disabilities; and cervical spine disability have been granted service connection.

The Board has found the Veteran's testimony credible and remands for further examinations to determine if his current back, hip, knee, and sciatica disabilities are related to service-connected bilateral pes planus. Additional VA medical records were obtained after the SOC was issued but not considered in the decision.

The Veteran's right knee disorder and cervical spine disorder have been reopened, but service connection for these conditions is granted. The right knee disorder was found to be related to the in-service injury, while the cervical spine disorder was not related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for a neck disability and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Veteran's PTSD is related to an in-service stressor. Service connection for PTSD due to military sexual trauma (MST) is granted. However, the claim for service connection for a neck disability remains pending as it has been remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is denied service connection, while a 30% rating for HIV-associated lipodystrophy is granted as of November 22, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hydromyelia of the cervical spine, increased evaluations for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees, and an increased evaluation for depressive disorder. The issues are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate addendum opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder, right shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities. The examiner must provide an opinion as to whether these conditions were aggravated by service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to April 6, 2021, and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.,From April 6, 2021 onwards, the Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy is rated at 40 percent. The claim for a higher rating remains denied.,The Veteran was granted a separate rating of 10% for tension headaches associated with his cervical spine disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder. The cases are remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, but remanded the claims for chronic sinusitis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and sleep problems.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder, wrist, elbow, and cervical spine disabilities as secondary to a lumbar strain. The Board found no current disability in these conditions.