Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right knee condition, unexplained aching bones and joints, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip osteoarthritis, left foot trace edema, right foot trace edema, left hand degenerative arthritis, right hand degenerative arthritis, large submandibular growth on left side of neck, pyoderma gangrenosum of bilateral lower extremities, and bladder cancer.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of a 20 percent rating for right hip strain with impairment and a 40 percent rating for right lower extremity sciatic nerve lumbar radiculopathy, as the date entitlement arose was February 7, 2023.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several service connection claims.

The appeal regarding the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and service connection for various conditions was dismissed due to concurrent election.

The Board granted an effective date of March 31, 2022, for the awards of service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating greater than 10 percent for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, sciatic nerve.

The appeal as to the proposed reduction of the rating for degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, mild disc bulge with moderate central disc protrusion L5-S1 is dismissed due to procedural issues. The claim for a higher rating for sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity, is remanded.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20% rating for lumbosacral strain effective June 1, 2024, while denying ratings in excess of 20% and initial disability ratings in excess of 10% for left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathies.

The veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected thoracolumbar degenerative disc disease with lumbar spasms, IVDS, bulging disc, and spondylolisthesis.

The Veteran's service connection for left neck scar was granted, while the claims for left sciatic radicular pain, hypoesthesia, paresthesia of the left lower extremity, right ankle pain, and right wrist and hand pain were denied.

The Board granted service connection for dyspnea as a sign or symptom of an undiagnosed illness involving the respiratory system and denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis. Several other claims were remanded for further development.

The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity and denied an earlier effective date for the award of a separate 10 percent rating for right leg radiculopathy as associated with the lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder condition and a left knee condition, but denied service connection for a right knee condition. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraines.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence of a current disability or sufficient link to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to December 6, 2023. The reduction in the evaluation of right lower extremity radiculopathy from 10 percent to noncompensable effective December 6, 2023 was upheld.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating greater than 10 percent for degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, and spinal stenosis, as well as left lower extremity radiculopathy, to schedule a VA examination.

The Board remands all claims for a VA examination to determine the relationship between each claimed disability and service or another service-connected condition.

The Board granted an effective date of April 24, 2007, for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain but denied earlier effective dates for right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy.

The Board denied increased ratings for several service-connected conditions, granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy, and remanded other issues.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain and denied service connection for hearing loss, while remanding claims for migraine headaches and left upper extremity radiculopathy.