Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including TBI, back disability, hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy, and neuropathy. The decision is pending further development of the Veteran's service treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity sciatica, finding no evidence of a chronic condition in service or current symptoms related to those conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Vet Centers and SSA examination reports. The issues of higher staged initial ratings for PTSD and TDIU prior to February 10, 2014 are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's recurrent thoracolumbar strain with radiculopathy is caused by her service-connected pyelonephritis with recurrent urinary tract infections, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

Service connection is denied for left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.,Service connection is denied for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for recurrent lumbosacral strain is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to symptoms first noted during active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, spinal scoliosis, and other physical impairments, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds the preponderance of evidence supports the award of TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for right elbow disability was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.,There is no evidence of a current disability manifested by muscle spasms or bilateral hip disability. The Veteran has not been shown to have these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU. The VA examinations are inadequate for the issues of increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear records and need for an addendum from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome and associated radiculopathy are being remanded for additional examination to determine the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to insufficient evidence from previous examinations, including lack of information on flare-ups and functional loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), chronic lumbar strain, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability. The remaining issues of service connection for left hip, left foot, and right foot disabilities are remanded due to lack of objective clinical tests supporting the Veteran's claims. Additionally, the cervical spine, bilateral knee, and cervical radiculopathy disabilities require new VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disability should be remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the issue of a separate rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity as secondary to the service-connected low back strain with arthritis and degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's lumbar disc herniation with sciatic depression is granted an initial rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, and mood disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional records from SSA and NARA need to be obtained.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, along with associated radiculopathies, have been granted increased ratings.