Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board has granted service connection for a thyroid disorder, diagnosed as hypothyroidism, due to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, anemia, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The Board has also remanded several other issues for further development and clarification of the evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her lumbar spine disability and associated right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy is remanded for further examination and opinion. The service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional evidence being added to the record, and the Veteran requested AOJ review of this new evidence. The claim for a higher rating for right side sciatica will be returned to the AOJ for further consideration.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not granted a compensable rating.,The Veteran's surgical scar from transurethral resection of bladder neck contracture and right shoulder are not granted a compensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for various spinal and joint disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his diabetes mellitus and service connection for various disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and a VA examination to assess the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the back claim.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes.,Throughout the appeal period, his back condition with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy does not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his migraine headaches, lumbar spine disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and determining whether he meets the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions that did not consider the Veteran's reported symptoms and history.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back, right leg, left leg, neck, right arm, and left arm disorders. The case is remanded for further development regarding his right shoulder disorder and head disorder (to include headaches).,Service connection was established for all claimed conditions except for the Veteran's right shoulder disorder and head disorder.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted a 40 percent rating effective June 11, 2018. The Board denied an increased rating prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical and lumbosacral strain, as well as service connection for various spinal conditions and radiculopathies. Additional development is required to address the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's VR&E benefits were previously terminated due to the expiration of his eligibility period. The Board has decided to remand this matter for further evaluation and determination of whether he currently has a serious employment handicap, which could potentially extend his eligibility.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions. The AOJ must obtain any outstanding VA treatment records, provide adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the claimed disabilities, and consider a possible secondary relationship between PTSD and hypertension.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability. The reasons given were that there was no clear evidence of an in-service injury or disease leading to these disabilities, and that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's thoracic and lumbar spine disorder, headaches including migraines with aura, and neurological disorder of the left arm are all found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee strain, DJD (arthritis) of the cervical spine with IVDS, and radiculopathy with CTS of the right upper extremity.,The Veteran's heart disorder is also found to be secondary to his service-connected hypertension.