Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disorder, left foot disorder (claimed as left foot), and residuals of a left ankle sprain. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left wrist condition, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted increased ratings, with some conditions receiving separate ratings for different parts of their body.,Several conditions received specific and higher ratings based on more severe manifestations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left hip disability is secondary to his service-connected left lower extremity radiculopathy and/or left foot disability. The AOJ needs to obtain a clarifying opinion from a VA examiner addressing both causation and aggravation prongs.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is remanded for extraschedular consideration.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral chronic open angle glaucoma with bilateral nodular scleritis, MDD, depression (claimed as insomnia), bronchitis, migraines, cervical and lumbar back conditions, uterine fibroids, hysterectomy, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, right ankle condition, and DM are remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's claims for MDD, depression (claimed as insomnia), migraines, cervical and lumbar back conditions, uterine fibroids, hysterectomy, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, right ankle condition, and DM are remanded for VA examinations to determine their etiology.,The Veteran's bronchitis claim is remanded for additional development.,The Veteran's migraines claim is remanded for a VA examination to determine its nature and etiology.,The Veteran's cervical and lumbar back conditions claims are remanded for a VA examination to determine their nature and etiology.,The Veteran's uterine fibroids, hysterectomy, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, right ankle condition, and DM claims are remanded for VA examinations to determine their nature and etiology.,The Veteran's right ankle condition claim is remanded for a VA examination to determine its nature and etiology.,The Veteran's DM claim is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the percentage rating standards for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to May 28, 2015. The Board finds that his service-connected conditions have not rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and entitlement to TDIU due to conflicting medical opinions and new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine without radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for a low back disability is being remanded.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (to include a depressive disorder and/or PTSD) and respiratory disorder (to include COPD and/or emphysema) claims are also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for anemia and denied a higher evaluation for left upper extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for cervical spine disability is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar condition and whether any current low back disability found pre-existed service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and associated radiculopathy were remanded for further evaluation. Service connection was also remanded for GERD, lumbar spine disability, sciatica, and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent prior to April 12, 2022. The radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and restoration of disability ratings are being remanded due to procedural issues.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for left eye vision loss is denied. The Board granted separate 10% ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve in both lower extremities from December 28, 2016. However, the claims for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and TDIU are all denied.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was rated at 40 percent effective January 29, 2016.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was granted a 20 percent rating from January 29, 2016 to July 27, 2021 and denied any higher rating thereafter.

The Veteran's headaches, lumbar spine DDD, cervical spine disability, right upper extremity sensory dysfunction, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sensory loss are all granted with specific ratings. The effective date for these grants is March 18, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for a new VA medical examination due to the Veteran's failure to appear for scheduled examinations. The claims are related to his service-connected right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for paresthesias and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are being remanded due to a failure to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for back and sciatic nerve disabilities have been reopened, but the Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.