Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's reports of flare-ups and limitations on range of motion testing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability has been denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss that meets VA criteria.,Service connection for sleep deprivation was also denied due to lack of a diagnosed condition and functional impairment.

The Veteran's radiculopathy, left upper extremity is currently rated at 30 percent disabling. The Board finds a remand necessary to determine the severity of his condition due to his contentions of worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for deviated nasal septum, left sciatica, and right sciatica have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claims.

A rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar spondylosis is denied.,The application to reopen the claim of service connection for prostate cancer is denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and LLE and RLE radiculopathy are not granted due to lack of evidence or insufficient evidence.,Entitlement to TDIU is inextricably intertwined with other claims and cannot be decided at this time.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and left leg radiculopathy and atrophy, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the current conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of a claim was August 30, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating assigned for aortic valve insufficiency is granted with an effective date of April 29, 2008. The ratings for left knee patellar tendonitis and lumbar paraspinal tendonitis with degenerative disc disease are remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Veteran's left foot wound or ulcer is granted service connection as it is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes. The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and CAD are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Veteran's TBI, headaches, intervertebral disc disease of the lumbar spine, right knee strain, tinnitus, left wrist sprain, right wrist sprain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity have led to a TDIU being granted. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities significantly impair his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability with radiculopathy is related to VA spine surgeries and associated care. The case will be reviewed by a qualified spine surgeon who should provide an opinion on the likelihood of additional disabilities resulting from VA treatment, including negligence or similar instances.

The Board has decided to remand several claims, including those for increased ratings and TDIU. The main issues are related to the Veteran's heart condition and spine conditions.

The Veteran's sciatica and femoral nerve disorders of the lower extremities are granted with a rating of 20 percent, effective from specific dates for each issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar disc degeneration, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate medical opinions in the May 2014 VA examination. The Veteran's statements of in-service acoustic trauma need to be considered by a new examiner.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities (polyneuropathy) is remanded due to a lack of updated private treatment records from his lifetime providers.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, to include GERD, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for depression and anxiety, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.

The Veteran's DDD of the thoracolumbar spine is rated at 40 percent effective September 14, 2012. The left lower extremity radiculopathy was initially rated at 20 percent prior to November 11, 2019 and then increased to 40 percent from that date. TDIU is granted effective June 7, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for a urinary condition was denied as there is no evidence of such a condition.,Major depressive disorder was granted at 70% prior to February 8, 2017 and at 100% from May 18, 2018. The rating in excess of 70% for the period before February 8, 2017 is denied.,Service connection for low back disorder was denied as it did not meet the one-year requirement after separation from service.,Right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy were granted secondary to the service-connected low back disorder. The rating in excess of 20% is denied for both conditions starting December 9, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his lumbar spine and radiculopathy conditions, do not render him unemployable for purposes of establishing entitlement to TDIU or SMC housebound.

The Board has remanded three issues related to service connection for various conditions, including a lumbar spine disorder and bilateral knee disorders. The decision does not specify the rating assigned or effective date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a separate rating for spinal stenosis associated with his service-connected low back disability, and has remanded the claims for increased ratings for multiple herniated discs of the lumbar spine with bilateral radiculopathy and TDIU.