Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2019

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and his DIC benefits claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to incomplete records and failure to comply with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, as well as radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, were denied. The Veteran's service-connected low back disorder was also denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's service-connected conditions are currently rated at 10 percent each.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disability and bilateral pes planus of the feet have been dismissed. The remaining issues, including those related to gastrointestinal and respiratory disabilities, are remanded.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his back disability was granted, and he is now receiving a 20% rating effective June 4, 2014. Separate ratings of 10% each were also granted for left and right lumbar radiculopathy.

The Veteran is granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy from April 4, 2013 to November 30, 2016. From December 1, 2016 onwards, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for TDIU, increased evaluation of back disability, and increased evaluation of bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to lack of timely notice of disagreement (NOD).

The Veteran's neck and left upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities are remanded for further evaluation due to recent assertions of increased severity.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left carpal tunnel syndrome and right carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as his claims for increased ratings for left hip strain and tendonitis with painful motion and limited left hip flexion.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral shin splints, a disability manifested by bilateral shooting leg pains, costochondritis, and bilateral breast cysts due to incomplete VA examinations. The Veteran's recent VA treatment records are not addressed in the previous examinations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to re-open claims for service connection for low back disability, neck disability, bilateral knee disability, lumbar radiculopathy, and hypertension. The claims are remanded for additional development including examinations.

The Veteran's claim for separate compensable ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy prior to October 5, 2014 is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for spondylolisthesis, lumbar spine spondylolisthesis and DJD (L4-5, L5-S1), radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity have been denied. The appeals are based on direct service connection.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus, onychomycosis and tinea pedis.,The Veteran's headaches and neck disorder are remanded as they may be related to his claimed pseudo tumor celebri and upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from Tri-Care West.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for higher evaluations of his service-connected low back condition and right radiculopathy, leading to their dismissal.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted a 20% rating, effective from April 17, 2017. The Veteran's back disability and neck disability are denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right leg sciatica, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records from private doctors he identified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of recurrent sacroiliac strain and right lower extremity sciatica, finding that no formal or informal claim was filed prior to July 31, 2013.