Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's treatment at Enloe Medical Center on October 25, 2009 was not for an emergent disability and therefore does not meet the criteria for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for migraines, increased disability ratings for thoracolumbar radiculopathy and degenerative arthritis, and groin pain are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent from April 18, 2005, to November 15, 2009, for chronic low back pain with radiculopathy. The effective date for service connection was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability. Service connection for urticaria is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination for his head injury disability claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for further development of her service-connected lumbar spine disability, including right leg radiculopathy.

The Board dismissed the issue of service connection for tinnitus, left ear because it has been rendered moot on appeal due to a December 2010 rating decision granting this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his active military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA orthopedic examination and providing an addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's current low back disorder is related to his in-service complaints of chronic low back pain documented at his separation examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his lumbar spine disability and related radiculopathies did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, effective December 1, 2006. The Veteran has also been granted service connection for tinnitus with a 10% disability rating effective December 1, 2006.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 40 percent effective June 23, 2010.,Right S1 radiculopathy has been granted a 20 percent evaluation from June 23, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development on the issue of entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, finding that his hearing loss did not meet VA criteria for a disability and thus could not be service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required to determine if the Veteran's back disability is related to service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and associated sacroiliac radiculopathy have been rated at 20 percent, effective the date of his claim. The initial ratings for left and right sacroiliac radiculopathy remain at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for chronic cervical intervertebral disc disease with right upper extremity radiculopathy and associated right upper extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn her appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, with a separate 10 percent rating for mild impairment of the sciatic nerve in the left lower extremity. The disability picture does not warrant higher ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral tinnitus and service connection for a low back disability were denied. The Board found that the highest possible rating for his tinnitus was 10 percent, which is the maximum allowed under VA regulations. For the low back disability claim, the examiner did not find any evidence of an in-service injury or event related to the Veteran's current condition.