Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and remanded the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings due to failure to comply with previous remand directives. The TBI claim requires a new VA examination, while the increased rating claims need rescheduling.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings on multiple service-connected disabilities, including cervical radiculopathy, degenerative joint disease of the neck and shoulder, PTSD, and arthritis of the wrist, is remanded due to need for additional examinations. Additionally, his claim for service connection for arthritis of the joints, potentially related to exposure in Southwest Asia, is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for migraine headaches, lumbosacral spine disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to in-service exposure to environmental hazards. The Veteran's service connection claim is being remanded for additional development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has granted effective dates of January 10, 2018 for the grant of a 20 percent evaluation for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.,Other issues on appeal are REMANDED.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including private medical records. The VA will also obtain updated treatment records and ask the Veteran to provide any missing relevant records.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy associated with cervical spine disability, effective December 4, 2008.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal for additional development due to deficiencies in a December 2020 VA spine examination, including inadequate range-of-motion testing and failure to address functional ankylosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The issues related to radiculopathy of the bilateral sciatic and femoral nerves are also remanded as there is inconsistency regarding when these symptoms first manifested.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate examinations in previous decisions. The Veteran is required to undergo additional evaluations, including a back examination and a separate examination for his radiculopathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder and somatic disorder, is granted as service-connected. The low back disability and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy of the anterior right thigh, finding that there is no current diagnosis and not as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted a 40% evaluation from October 10, 2017. Prior to this date, the evaluations for both conditions remained at 20%. The TDIU was also granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for dry eye syndrome was denied. Service connection for abdominal pain, right hip and knee disabilities, and peripheral neuropathy or radiculopathy of the upper extremities were granted. The issues of service connection for right hip and knee disabilities and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, adjustment disorder, tension headaches, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar myositis, herniated nucleus pulposus of L3-L4, and bulging annulus L1-L2.,The decision also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively, effective April 17, 2014.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU, but his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left lumbar radiculopathy (claimed as sciatica) is granted. A rating of 20 percent is granted for the lumbar spine disability, effective August 18, 2020. The Veteran also receives a grant of a 100 percent rating for Meniere's disease.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, sciatic and femoral radiculopathy in both lower extremities, and TDIU/SMC claims are all remanded for further development.