Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity femoral and sciatic nerve disabilities are granted separate compensable ratings from January 25, 2012, to September 6, 2018. Ratings in excess of these ratings are denied.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease, left and right lower leg radiculopathy are being remanded for additional development to determine the appropriate disability ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back disability. The appeal regarding coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he can tolerate sedentary or physical work environments that don't involve heavy lifting and prolonged sitting.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for neurobehavioral effects and an increased rating for his service-connected headache disorder. The appeals of the remaining issues are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted for the entire period on appeal, as he meets the schedular criteria and his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has restored a 20% disability rating for service-connected right lower extremity radiculopathy effective December 11, 2018. The remaining claims are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal as to the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn. Service connection is granted for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, with the cause being service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disability. The VA examiners' opinions are inadequate as they did not address rare circumstances where a knee reconstruction surgery could cause or aggravate a back condition.

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

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70% rating from July 22, 2015. The ratings for sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are denied. The rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis is also denied.

The Veteran's service connection for a neurologic condition of the lower extremities, claimed as nerve spasms, is denied. The claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine has been granted but not higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, vertigo, lumbar spine disability, erectile dysfunction as secondary to lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him functionally unemployable since May 7, 2014.

The Veteran's low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities (right and left), and psychiatric disability are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the remand is necessary due to non-compliance with prior directives and in order to address the Veteran's report of difficulty standing up straight during back flare-ups, which may be indicative of ankylosis.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for the right leg condition or a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left leg condition.

The Veteran is eligible for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, which affect his ability to walk without the aid of assistive devices. The special home adaptation grant claim is moot and dismissed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain missing records and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine, knee, and skin disabilities. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy is not service-connected due to a lack of evidence showing it is related to his service-connected cervical and thoracic spine conditions. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.