Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and entitlement to a TDIU due to missing private treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for fatigue, traumatic brain injury (TBI), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left wrist disability, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity as there was no evidence to support a current diagnosis or that these conditions were related to service.

The Board granted an effective date of October 29, 2021 for the award of service connection and increased ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks. The claim for sleep apnea was denied.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for stage 3 chronic kidney disease and remanded the claims for increased ratings for back disability, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.

The Board granted a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for gastrectomy residuals and 10 percent for gastrectomy scars, but denied higher ratings for hypertension, tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and service connection for an enlarged prostate, GERD, cervical spine pain, and right wrist pain.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and a 40 percent rating for lower back strain. The ratings for right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy were also adjusted, with TDIU granted.

The Board remands the claims for further development and a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar stenosis with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's low back and left ankle disabilities, granted a 20% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy from April 14, 2023, to October 11, 2023, and granted an earlier effective date of January 14, 2016, for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, CFS, fibromyalgia, IBS, and bilateral hand tremors under the PACT Act. Service connection was also granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to a service-connected back disability. The claims for increased ratings were denied, and several other claims were remanded.

The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right shoulder disability, depression, and tinnitus due to duty to assist errors prior to the April 2024 rating decision.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and sciatica of the left lower extremity, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted a disability rating of 30 percent for chronic gastritis and GERD, effective January 11, 2021.

The issues of service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine; right leg radiculopathy; and degenerative arthritis, cervical spine are dismissed as the Board granted service connection in a separate appeal stream.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's cervical spine disability and a rating of 40 percent for his radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board is remanding the matters for clarification from the private examiner as to whether a goniometer was used, and will defer further adjudication until such clarification is provided.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of service-connected left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted an effective date of February 24, 2023, for the award of service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy and a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain but granted service connection for radiculopathy in both lower extremities associated with the lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied increased ratings for migraines and lumbar spondylosis, granted a 40% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and granted TDIU and earlier effective dates for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board denied the claims for an earlier effective date as no new and relevant evidence was received to reopen or readjudicate the claims.