Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of headaches and the Veteran is not competent to attest to such a diagnosis. His cervical spine disability does not cause him to experience headaches, as evidenced by his treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issues of service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board has granted effective dates of February 22, 2018 for service connection of bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and cervical strain, but remanded for further development on initial disability ratings and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's neck disability, finding that it is not related to his service or secondary to his service-connected right hip disability.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The right ear hearing loss and low back disorder/cervical spine disorder claims are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and incomplete records, specifically regarding the Veteran's neck disability. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining additional medical opinions and private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity. Service connection was denied for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.,The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding these conditions, thus granting service connection based on the benefit of doubt.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous directives and for further development of the Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar strain disabilities, including addressing his July 2012 lay statement regarding pain radiating down into his legs.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and a migraine condition, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's back and neck disabilities are related to service, excluding any involvement of the motor vehicle accident on July 2, 2004.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the previous remand directives regarding the Veteran's cervical spine condition and left rotator cuff tear. Therefore, another remand is required to obtain new VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an upper back/cervical spine condition, a rating in excess of 10 percent for a low back disability, and TDIU due to unemployability. The Veteran's statements regarding his in-service injury are found credible, and there is evidence that his current conditions may be related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for cervical degenerative disc disease and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for multiple joint arthritis, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, bilateral ankle and foot disabilities, cardiac disability (including heart palpitations), and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence.,Further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for TDIU and SMC were previously remanded by the Board, but have been returned to the Board due to a Court Joint Motion for Remand (JMR).,For the period prior to July 21, 2009, the Veteran was not found unemployable based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent, effective January 2, 2018. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent remains denied.,Right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spine disability was not granted a separate rating as the evidence did not support such a finding.,The Veteran's chronic strain of the thoracic and lumbosacral spine with degenerative arthritis and deformity of coccyx is rated at 20 percent, effective January 24, 2017 to December 10, 2019. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent remains denied.,The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 20 percent from December 11, 2019 onwards. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent remains denied.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with chronic strain of the thoracic and lumbosacral spine was not granted a separate rating as the evidence did not support such a finding.

The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative disc disease cervical spine, degenerative disc disease thoracolumbar spine, sciatica (right and left lower extremities), and herniated cervical disc have all been granted. The conditions are found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 have been dismissed due to the failure to timely file a Notice of Disagreement.,New evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and special monthly compensation are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations related to his service-connected radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding his claimed disabilities and their relationship to active duty, including exposure to G-forces as a pilot.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to inadequate VA examination reports. The claims are being returned for further development.