Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically major depressive disorder, and denied the claims for a neck condition, traumatic brain injury, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, hypertension, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability or functional impairment of earning capacity related to the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms more nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating from July 9, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, granted an initial rating of 10 percent for chronic constipation, and granted higher ratings of 30 percent for bilateral peripheral vestibular disorder and 20 percent for bilateral dry eye.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 40 percent for left shoulder strain and service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral lower extremity sciatica, secondary to the now service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to a need for an addendum medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for a lumbar spine strain and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity to correct duty to assist errors, including rescheduling VA examinations and obtaining complete private treatment records.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for the Veteran's major depressive disorder (MDD) and remanded claims for service connection for sleep apnea, a neck condition, and upper left extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for tubal ligation/uterine fibroids and dismissed the appeal for a higher initial rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for peripheral neurological involvement and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea to correct duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity (LLE) radicular pain and parasthesia, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ, and noncompensable service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and a higher rating for special monthly compensation were also denied.

The Board granted service connection and initial disability ratings for the veteran's psychiatric disorder, back disability, bilateral leg radiculopathy, right shoulder, right knee, left ankle, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for further development and examination.

The Board granted initial increased ratings of 20 percent for the right and left lower extremity radiculopathy conditions effective May 10, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection awards, finding that the appropriate effective date was May 4, 1998, when he first filed a claim specifically for a back disability.

The Board granted an effective date prior to December 20, 2019, for a 40 percent rating for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis and a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity sciatica and left lower extremity sciatica. The claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support an evaluation higher than moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, higher ratings, and a combined evaluation, as well as service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the ratings assigned for a lumbar spine disability and left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability. Service connection was also granted for fecal incontinence.

The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the service-connected back disability and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the right lower extremity radiculopathy.