Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Service connection was granted for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD, but remanded for further development regarding this condition.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to insufficient evidence linking them to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decisions.,The Board is also remanding his service connection claim for right ear hearing loss.

Service connection is granted for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus type 2.,Service connection is denied for osteoarthritis of the left hand, osteoarthritis of the right hand, and ventral hernia.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including psoriasis, cervical spine disability, low back disability, radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities, left shoulder disability, residuals of a left fibula scar, and other conditions, have rendered him unemployable since August 23, 2013. The Board has granted TDIU benefits from that date.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings for MDD, the propriety of reducing the disability rating for varicose veins, and seeking an earlier effective date for sciatic nerve radiculopathy. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis beginning December 20, 2014.

The Veteran's radiculopathy (femoral nerve) of the left lower extremity and spinal stenosis with thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease are granted effective December 2, 2020. The initial rating for the spinal stenosis prior to that date is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a retrospective opinion to determine the severity of the service-connected cervical spine disability from December 21, 2005, and to the present. The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy as secondary to a service-connected back disability. The claims for left hand disability, syncope, and sinusitis are remanded pending VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right upper extremity radiculopathy and to consider the possibility of separate ratings for different radicular groups.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a retrospective opinion on functional loss of his lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted. The effective date for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy remains December 21, 2017. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for entitlement to service connection for vertigo due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of service connection have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the severity of his lower extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for his back disability or lower left extremity radiculopathy, and remanded some of his claims due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal for all six issues, including an increased rating for cervical spine disability, migraine headaches, and initial ratings for cervical radiculopathy of the upper extremities. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits have also been withdrawn.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for radiculopathy, left lower extremity as secondary to a back condition, a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and a disability rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for radiculopathy, left lower extremity as secondary to a back condition, a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and a disability rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are all found to be service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for diabetic nephropathy, an earlier effective date prior to May 12, 2017 for the grant of service connection for diabetic nephropathy, and SMC based on housebound status or need for regular aid and attendance have all been denied.