Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot disabilities, including arthritis and radiculopathy, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inadequate VA examinations and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to new evidence and a need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions regarding his spine and radiculopathy disabilities, as well as his need for aid and attendance. The issues are intertwined and must be addressed together.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) of the lumbar spine, left lumbar radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic and femoral radiculopathies. The issues include seeking higher ratings for these conditions as well as a TDIU determination. Additional development is needed to obtain medical records and conduct examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 9, 1978, for the grant of service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and increased ratings to 40 percent for thoracolumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity sciatic neuropathy, and left lower extremity sciatic neuropathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current manifestations of the disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and consideration due to inadequacies in previous examinations and new evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records, including those from private providers. The VA will obtain these records and then readjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and to obtain medical records. The issues of entitlement to service connection are related to the severity of his service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, eczema, scarring alopecia, PFB, right lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, left elbow condition, and right elbow condition.

The Board has found the reduction of ratings for thoracolumbar spine disability and associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to be improper, and has ordered their restoration. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings remain pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of his right knee condition, and the Board dismissed the appeal due to this withdrawal.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease and herniated nucleus pulposus with left L5 nerve root compression is rated at 40 percent from June 7, 2017. A separate 20 percent rating is granted for left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy since March 16, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy has been dismissed because the Veteran withdrew their appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran experienced chronic symptoms of migraines since her separation from service, and there is sufficient evidence to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and cervical radiculopathy due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by her military service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is rated at 20 percent, effective August 11, 2014. His right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each granted initial 20 percent ratings, effective August 11, 2014 and April 29, 2019 respectively. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective November 15, 2012. His right foot fibromatosis and left foot fibromatosis are granted service connection. His bilateral hip strains are secondary to his knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for residuals of a back injury, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left leg radiculopathy due to inadequate examination findings in the October 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for stable angina, due to his service-connected hypertension, is granted. The claims for right and left upper extremity neurological disabilities (carpal tunnel syndrome) are denied as the evidence does not support a link to service or service-connected conditions.