Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, back disorder, and migraine headaches. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded three issues related to service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and its associated radiculopathy. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to insufficient review of his medical records and lack of supporting rationale in the previous examination.

The Veteran's back disability and associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy have been remanded for further evaluation due to reported symptomatology changes. A VA examination is needed to assess the current nature and severity of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than May 11, 2011 for service connection are denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a back scar are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions including bilateral patellofemoral syndrome, heart disorder, sleep apnea, radiculopathy of upper and lower extremities, and GERD. The effective dates for awards are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, sinus disability, gastrointestinal disability, and hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions in the December 2018 VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, parasitic bowel disease (now claimed as IBS), and several musculoskeletal issues. The appeals are pending due to insufficient evidence or lack of a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete and contradictory VA opinions, as well as inextricably intertwined issues. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran's back disability and left leg sciatica are related to his service.

The Veteran's left lumbar radiculopathy is granted with a rating of 20 percent. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, GERD, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, thyroid problems, and diabetes mellitus are denied. Service connection for right lumbar radiculopathy is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities have been granted increased ratings to 20 percent each, effective from the date of the non-initial increased rating claims filed in March 2015.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy has resulted in severe incomplete paralysis, but the current rating of 30 percent is not sufficient to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right knee and arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine with right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions began during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional development. The issues include back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for left leg sciatica and right leg sciatica as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence.

The Veteran's left leg radiculopathy is granted for a rating of 20 percent prior to April 3, 2014. However, the claim for a higher rating after that date is denied.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is being remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate examination during a flare-up.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity from 10 percent to a noncompensable rating, effective September 14, 2016, was proper based on improvement in the condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a VA examination to assess the severity of his back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as he reported worsening symptoms since the last examination in May 2016.

The Veteran's hypertension had its onset in service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issues of increased ratings for cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, and scars of the right and left shoulders are remanded.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for lower back strain and service connection for sciatica of the left lower extremity. The Veteran's representative did not file a VA Form 646, so all matters are remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).