Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for left and right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy due to the absence of a current diagnosis.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for tinnitus, denied service connection for anus restriction as secondary to a service-connected disability, and denied increased ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis and lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The claims for service connection for right knee strain with osteoarthritis as secondary to service-connected disabilities and TDIU were remanded.

The Board dismissed or denied service connection for fibromyalgia, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, headaches, chest pain, a right ankle disability, and bilateral hand disabilities. The claims for increased ratings for knee and instability disabilities were also denied.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's neck condition, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and obstructive sleep apnea. The remaining claims were remanded.

The appeal was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent election under VA claims processing rules.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back and lower extremity radiculopathy conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The Board granted an effective date of February 22, 2011, for the grant of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with thoracic strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve due to insufficient information in the VA examination reports.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing was granted, while his TDIU claim prior to May 31, 2020, was denied. The low back disability rating issue is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy and back injury, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings.

The Board remands the claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, specifically to obtain a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) for the VA examiner who conducted the Veteran's December 17, 2020, VA back (thoracolumbar spine) conditions Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ).

The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for right carpal tunnel syndrome affecting the median nerve prior to December 16, 2024, and a separate 30 percent rating for right CTS affecting the ulnar nerve. The left CTS was rated at 20 percent throughout the initial period, but higher ratings were denied.

The Board remands the claims for further development to clarify the severity of the Veteran's lower extremity nerve conditions during the entire period on appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or an earlier effective date.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for back pain, chronic sciatica pain, herniated disc, and scoliosis due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for increased ratings and restored previous ratings for various service-connected disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hand (fingers/thumb) condition, ankle pain, foot pain, hip pain, knee pain, low back pain, migraines, sciatica, and TBI, has been withdrawn by the appellant's representative.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for restoration of service connection and the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, as new and relevant evidence was received.

All appeals for service connection and rating reduction were dismissed due to concurrent election of review options.