Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for various disabilities, including left and right knee disabilities, a right ankle disability, and right lower nerve impairments.

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

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine spondylosis with DDD L5-S1 and IVDS, along with left lower extremity of the sciatic and femoral nerves, prevented her from substantially gainful employment from March 2021 to July 2022.

The Board denied an effective date prior to March 1, 2022, for the grant of service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back, knee, and foot conditions, prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased evaluations for service-connected degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral spine; left and right lower radiculopathy, sciatic nerve; and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for left knee strain and right knee strain effective February 10, 2023, but dismissed the claims as moot. The Board also granted increased ratings for certain conditions while denying others.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy, left knee strain, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran did not submit a valid intent to file claim until April 17, 2023.

The Board remands the claim for a VA peripheral nerves examination to properly assess the severity of the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy, considering any ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and dismissed the appeals for service connection of various other conditions as well as for compensable ratings.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 23, 2019, for the award of a 20 percent evaluation for degenerative disc disease and service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted increased ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, but denied service connection for a respiratory disorder.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent prior to September 18, 2019, and 20 percent from that date for laminectomy anterior fusion with discectomy/disc spacer with plate and screw fixation, discectomy at C4, C5 and C6. However, an initial rating of 30 percent was granted for a neck scar from June 10, 2020.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disorder, to include lumbar spondylosis and sacralization of the L5, as well as radiculopathy in both lower extremities secondary to the low back disorder. The left and right hip disorders were remanded.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings of right knee, lumbar spine, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the severity of these conditions absent the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for lower back pain with sciatica due to a duty to assist error, requiring a new VA examination.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, effective August 31, 2021.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for cervical radiculopathy with carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity and remanded the service connection claim for a right knee disability.

The Board remands the claims for a lower back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right ankle disability to obtain additional evidence.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral sciatic radiculopathy, finding that there was no pending or unadjudicated claim prior to April 30, 2018.