Radiculopathy & sciatica decisions — 2026

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is rated at 10 percent from September 7, 2018 to August 2, 2023. The rating is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.,Allergic rhinitis prior to August 3, 2023, did not manifest as polyps or greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides, or complete obstruction on one side.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal before a hearing was held.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his cervical spine disability and left upper extremity radiculopathy ratings, finding that no pending claim prior to March 10, 2020, supported these requests.

The Board has granted initial 40 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities affecting the sciatic nerve, effective October 16, 2020.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities have been granted service connection, but he is seeking higher ratings. The Board has ordered a remand to reassess the severity of his disability without considering any ameliorative effects of medication.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for major depressive disorder with insomnia, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied. The effective date of the grants of these conditions is September 25, 2017.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has also been denied.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease is not manifested by flexion functionally limited to less than 60 degrees, with muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour. The Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy and sciatic nerve radiculopathy are both manifested by no more than mild incomplete paralysis.,The criteria for establishing entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent disabling for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease have not been met. The Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy and sciatic nerve radiculopathy are both manifested by no more than mild incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, right ear hearing loss, lumbosacral degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease and strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted service connection. The Veteran is entitled to a noncompensable rating for his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the right lower extremity radiculopathy sciatic nerve, and the Board dismissed the appeal in its entirety.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for major depressive disorder with anxious distress was denied.,A 20 percent rating for left upper extremity radiculopathy involving the upper radicular group is granted, effective October 14, 2022.

The Veteran's GERD-IBS condition is granted an increased disability evaluation to 30 percent from May 16, 2022.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for back pain, right knee injury, bilateral cervical radiculopathy, left knee disorder, left wrist disorder, and right wrist disorder. The remaining issues are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The private clinician provided a medical opinion supporting this finding.

The Board denied the Veteran's eligibility for enrollment in VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) due to her not requiring personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on an inability to perform one or more activities of daily living, a need for supervision or protection, or a need for regular or extensive instruction without which the ability to function in daily life would be seriously impaired.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of July 7, 2004, for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to a back disability is granted. The issue of service connection for hypertension, secondary to anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder (MDD), is remanded.

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, sciatic nerve, is dismissed.,The appeal of entitlement to service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, sciatic nerve, is dismissed.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for ratings in excess of 20 percent, 10 percent, and 10 percent for the specified conditions. The appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for PTSD was dismissed as no such assignment was made in the March 2020 rating decision.,The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for left and right lower extremity radiculopathies were also dismissed because these issues were not addressed in the January 2020 rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate examinations, including those related to his lumbar spine and right leg sciatica. The claims are being returned for further examination and opinion.