Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2026

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, effective from June 19, 2023.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted service connection with an effective date of February 20, 2014.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis, status post lumbar L5-S1 laminectomy/discectomy, was also granted with the same effective date.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the complexity of the issues.,The Veteran is seeking increased ratings for various disabilities, including bilateral plantar fasciitis, a surgical scar, cervical spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left hip disability, right knee disability, psychiatric disability, right ankle and left ankle disabilities, gastrointestinal disability, vocal cord dysfunction, sinusitis, tinea, and facial acne.

The Veteran's service connection claims for migraines, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), BPH, GERD, hypertension, chronic dyspnea, vertigo as secondary to tinnitus, cervical strain, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, insomnia, and chronic fatigue have all been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus is dismissed as the Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence showing hearing loss for VA purposes.,Affording the Veteran the benefit of doubt, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder) is granted.,The Veteran's right knee strain with limitation of flexion is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board finds no higher rating is warranted as there is no evidence showing more than limited flexion.,A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability is granted.,Service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis is denied, and a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence provided.,The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic radulopathy and right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy are each rated at 10 percent.,A higher rating for service-connected left foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis is denied.

The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 8520. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted as there was no evidence of motor or reflex impairment at a grade reflecting a very high level of limitation or disability.

The Veteran's disability ratings for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities have been granted at 40 percent since August 1, 2022. The Board found that his symptoms did not meet criteria for a higher rating prior to this date.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted initial ratings of 20 percent each for the period prior to April 14, 2025. The appeal is remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining relevant medical records and conducting adequate VA examinations.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve with restless leg syndrome. The Board finds that no earlier effective dates are warranted.,The Veteran also seeks TDIU prior to July 28, 2016. The Board finds that further clarification is necessary regarding the Veteran's employment history.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted, and he is awarded a separate rating for his right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy. The claim for an increased rating for sciatic nerve radiculopathy under DC 8520 is denied. Service connection for a left elbow disability is denied.

The Veteran's right and left leg radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) are granted a 40 percent rating, effective June 4, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 1, 2018. The Board granted an effective date of September 1, 2018 for the award of TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and related conditions have been granted initial disability ratings, effective December 9, 2014. The appeal for earlier effective dates is denied.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in effective dates of March 18, 2020 for various disability ratings and benefits. The earlier effective date claims are granted, while the service connection claim for erectile dysfunction is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the appeal, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral and sciatic nerves), was not found to warrant a higher rating during the review period. The effective date for these ratings is December 29, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for IVDS and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. A 40 percent rating was granted as of April 7, 2022, for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy with restless leg syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for initial disability ratings for his lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records.