Neck / cervical spine Board decisions

The Veteran's increased disability ratings for DDD and DJD of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, left shoulder, and tension headaches are granted with an effective date of December 1, 2013.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in response to the July 2018 remand were inadequate and requires further examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection are tied to a not-yet-filed claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, which needs to be filed and adjudicated before further consideration can occur regarding his other service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right shoulder disability and cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities due to lack of compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's current back disabilities are being requested to be addressed in a new VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the spine, shoulder arthritis, flat feet, a metal plate in the cervical spine, and back spasms as there was no evidence that these conditions began during or were related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right hip disabilities. The decision concluded that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders, finding that the evidence did not support a link to service or a continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's cervical spine disability and to evaluate whether his headaches are caused or aggravated by this condition. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating remains under review.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded by the Board.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but a higher rating is denied.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims, including those for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, right wrist disability, perforated right ear drum, and cervical spine disability. The remaining claims of sinusitis, respiratory disability (including asthma and bronchitis), and gastroesophageal reflux disease have been remanded as well.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition was not shown as chronic in service or within one year of discharge and is not otherwise etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her cervical spine strain and sacroiliac (SI) joint and lumbar facet dysfunction are remanded due to the need for additional examinations that comply with the requirements of Correia v. McDonald.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for addendum medical opinions and range of motion measurements.

The Board has remanded the claim for a cervical spine disability due to insufficient reasoning in the previous VA opinion and the need for an addendum opinion considering the Veteran's lay reports of neck problems since service.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and insufficient medical nexus to support a secondary relationship.,Service connection was not granted as the preponderance of the evidence did not show that the Veteran’s current conditions began during or are otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck disability, but remanded the issues of service connection for his lumbar spine and left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating due to symptoms that do not meet the criteria for a 70 percent rating.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability with cervical strain is currently rated at 20 percent and does not warrant an increase in rating as his range of motion meets the current criteria for this rating level.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability with lumbar strain is currently rated at 20 percent and does not warrant an increase in rating as his range of motion also meets the current criteria for this rating level.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues regarding secondary service connection for a cervical spine disability, and because there is no medical opinion concerning this theory. The Veteran's representative raised the theory that her current cervical spine disability was caused or aggravated by her service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine with spinal stenosis.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's initial claim for a rating of 30 percent for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted. The issue of entitlement to higher ratings and TDIU prior to September 27, 2018 remains pending.

The Board has remanded the issues of an effective date prior to February 12, 2012, for the grant of a separate compensable rating for right cervical radiculopathy and initial ratings for cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis and mild reversal of normal lordosis since February 12, 2012.