Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for idiopathic axonal peripheral motor and sensory neuropathy of both lower extremities, as secondary to his service-connected back disabilities. The case is being returned for a more complete VA examination and etiological opinion regarding direct and secondary service connection.

The Veteran's thoracic and lumbar spine disorder, headaches including migraines with aura, and neurological disorder of the left arm are all found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee strain, DJD (arthritis) of the cervical spine with IVDS, and radiculopathy with CTS of the right upper extremity.,The Veteran's heart disorder is also found to be secondary to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected diabetic peripheral neuropathy of his lower extremities throughout the period on appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity neuropathy is remanded for further examination and medical opinion regarding the etiology of his conditions, including as due to toxic herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The TDIU claim is granted, but only effective from October 7, 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him from April 1, 2015, through March 25, 2019. The Board granted TDIU during this period.

The Board has decided that the service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, to include as secondary to exposure to herbicides, should be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities have been reopened due to new and material evidence. However, these claims are all denied.,Service connection was not established for any of the conditions on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that a TDIU is warranted based on the severity of his conditions and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected residuals of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy due to an August 2020 VA examination that incorrectly granted service connection for all radicular groups. Additional development is needed to clarify which nerves are affected and if there are any thigh or upper extremity symptoms.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and erectile dysfunction (ED).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of various peripheral neuropathy disabilities and prostatectomy residuals were denied. The Veteran was granted initial ratings, but the Board found that higher ratings were not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee disorders, shoulder disorder, and peripheral neuropathy have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The claim to reopen the matter of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral feet has been denied. The claims for substitution purposes regarding kidney condition, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory condition (COPD) have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate evaluations and a need for an opinion from an endocrinologist or other clinician with experience in diabetes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity and upper extremity peripheral neuropathies due to herbicide exposure, including as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease. The remand requires a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's neuropathies are aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to a lack of recent VA examination. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeals for prostate cancer, melanoma, diabetes mellitus type II, right leg peripheral neuropathy, and left leg peripheral neuropathy before a decision was made.

The Board has denied service connection for a unilateral or bilateral foot disorder as secondary to the left foot hallux valgus disability. The initial rating for the service-connected left foot hallux valgus disability is also denied.