Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions, including hip and cervical spine disabilities, as well as upper extremity radiculopathy.

The appeal for earlier effective dates and initial ratings for service-connected conditions was withdrawn by the Veteran, thus these claims are dismissed.

The Board denied an effective date prior to November 4, 2009, for the grant of service connection for a back disability and granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The claims for initial ratings, secondary service connection, and TDIU were remanded.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes, bilateral hearing loss, a right knee scar, chronic fatigue syndrome, an upper respiratory disability, a left leg neurological disability, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right knee meniscal tear.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee tendonitis, right lower extremity sciatica, left lower extremity sciatica, and acne as further development is needed to determine their etiology.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for his degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis and lumbosacral strain, and bilateral lower radiculopathy for the sciatic and femoral nerves due to a prohibited concurrent election under the modernized review system.

The Board denied the claims for an increased initial rating for PTSD and alcohol use disorder, a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a low back disability, and service connection for bilateral lower extremity sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia of the right lower extremity.

The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected DJD and DDD of the lumbar spine, effective November 13, 2025.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis, as well as for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies, to ensure an adequate examination is conducted.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS, radiculopathy of the left and right upper extremities, but denied service connection for left knee strain with shin splints, thoracolumbar strain with IVDS, left shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis, right shoulder disability to include shoulder strain with impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis with calcific tendinitis, and tinnitus.

The Board dismissed the appeals for entitlement to a rating more than 40 percent disabling for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, and for a rating more than 20 percent disabling for right lower extremity radicopathy, sciatic.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and denied service connection for obsessive-compulsive disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, obstructive sleep apnea, and diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board granted a 100 percent initial schedular disability rating for the Veteran's unspecified depressive and anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder, while remanding other issues for further development.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran withdrew the appeal, and there are no allegations of error for appellate consideration.

The Board granted service connection for depression and remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, left sciatic radicular pain, and right sciatic radicular pain. The claim for tinnitus was denied.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent rating for PTSD with TBI, a 20 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and thoracic disc degeneration, and a separate 10 percent rating effective July 13, 2023 for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity. The Board denied higher ratings for cervical spine conditions, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and other conditions including hearing loss, fractured finger, and deviated nasal septum, while remanding two issues for further consideration.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence supported moderate incomplete paralysis in both limbs.

The Board granted an effective date of June 29, 1971, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and granted increased ratings for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, right upper extremity radiculopathy (upper radicular group), and left upper extremity radiculopathy (upper radicular group).

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for increased ratings and a compensable rating for various conditions, as these issues were deferred by the AOJ and not yet final.