Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2026

The Veteran's back disability is granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher. The claims for increased ratings of left and right wrist conditions, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, left foot condition, right foot condition, and headache condition are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for spinal stenosis and lumbar radiculopathy, Hepatitis B, due to procedural errors in the initial decision. The Veteran's claims are not yet decided.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy of the C5/C6 nerve roots were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

Your appeal for service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy has been dismissed because the AOJ granted this benefit in a July 2021 rating decision.

The Veteran's service connection claims for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) effective November 29, 2023, with the condition being rated as mild incomplete paralysis.,The Veteran's service connection claim for left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) was also granted a 10 percent rating effective November 29, 2023. The condition is also rated as mild incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's right foot degenerative arthritis is rated at 10% and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating of his right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied, as the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, and left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) have been rated at 30%, 40%, and 20% respectively.,TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings due to inadequate examination in determining the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including DJD of the lumbar spine, right shoulder, bilateral sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and peripheral neuropathy, combined, prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, skills, training, and work history. Effective December 7, 2022, he is granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and vertigo due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The issues are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is eligible for enrollment in the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) based on his service-connected conditions. However, due to a legal inadequacy and the need for a more detailed medical opinion, the case must be remanded.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for increased evaluations of GERD, bilateral lower extremity sciatic radulopathy, and one surgical scar of the lumbar spine. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity sciatic radiculopathies have been rated at 10 percent since February 9, 2023. The Board has determined that the VA examinations and evaluations are inadequate for adjudication purposes and remands the case to obtain a retrospective medical opinion from an appropriate clinician.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for clarification of symptomatology related to incomplete paralysis, neuritis, or neuralgia of the sciatic nerve.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to address the Veteran's low back disorder and lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as his claims for TDIU and SMC. The remand is necessary due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions due to his death.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for service connection awards of lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome, muscle spasm, and atrophy; right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve; and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and effective dates have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy were granted initial ratings of 30 percent prior to August 6, 2020. From that date, the Veteran was granted increased ratings of 40 percent for both conditions.,From August 6, 2020, the Veteran's left and right lower extremity radiculopathy were rated at 40 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a Total Disability Rating Based on Unemployability (TDIU) prior to February 16, 2021, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantial gainful employment during those periods.