Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities on a secondary basis to his service-connected right shoulder disability. The VA examiners found no nexus between these conditions and the right shoulder.,The Board also denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the upper extremities on a secondary basis to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board finds that the appellant does not have a low back disability, sciatica, or peripheral neuropathy in either lower extremity attributable to his military service.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of current cervical radiculopathy and the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability is currently evaluated at 20 percent, which adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on his range of motion and symptoms. He is also separately rated for radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current neck, low back, and knee conditions are related to an in-service incident where he was thrown from a truck. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability, hearing disability, and other conditions. The evidence does not support a finding of nexus between these disabilities and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including verification of stressors and examination to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his back disability and radiculopathy. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for Degenerative Disc Disease and Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity are being remanded due to new evidence suggesting a worsening of symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his lumbar spine disability was denied, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted. The cervical spine disability claim was also denied as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability is currently rated as 40 percent disabling. The Board has granted separate 10% ratings for right-sided and left-sided sciatica, both evaluated as neurological manifestations of the same underlying condition.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for his lumbar spine disability and radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been granted, but he is not entitled to higher ratings as forward flexion remains limited to 80 degrees with pain at 55 degrees.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The case will be remanded to the AOJ for further action.

The Veteran's service-connected arthritis of the left hip has been found to have aggravated his chronic muscular strain of the lumbar spine and chronic sciatic neuropathy. The Veteran is currently rated at 50 percent for arthritis of the left hip with total hip replacement since March 15, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU, and the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and numbness and loss of dexterity of the bilateral hands as secondary to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to military service or found to be aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent, and his radiculopathy of both lower extremities are also rated at 20 percent each. The rating for the thoracolumbar spine remains unchanged.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for additional disabilities caused by VA epidural steroid injections, but the Board finds that a clarifying VA medical opinion is necessary to determine if these disabilities were reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened, and he is now entitled to a 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy. His left lower extremity radiculopathy remains rated at 20 percent.