Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee brace caused wear and tear to his pants in 2018, leading to a clothing allowance for that year.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease, left convex lumbar scoliosis, and spinal stenosis. The evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for a cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and traumatic brain injury are not supported by competent evidence of a nexus to his active service. The Veteran's STRs do not show any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions until many years after separation from service.

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding proposed reductions in ratings for peripheral neuropathy affecting both lower extremities as the proposed reduction was not implemented.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbar spine arthritis disc disease with spondylosis, bronchial asthma, radiculopathy right lower extremity, and radiculopathy left lower extremity, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his physical limitations. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are permanently disabling and to determine his eligibility for education benefits under Chapter 35.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including depression, anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a lumbar spine condition, bilateral knee joint pain, bilateral lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity due to new evidence submitted after the September 2009 rating decision. The PTSD claim remains in a denied status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 7, 2016.

The Veteran's ratings for DDD of the thoracolumbar spine and radiculopathy of the RLE and LLE have been increased to 20 percent effective December 16, 2019. The Veteran's rating for radiculopathy of the LLE remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic neuropathy is currently rated as 40 percent disabling. The Board has granted this rating.,For the left and right upper extremities, the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and associated left lower extremity radiculopathy are not rated higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's cervical disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral shin splints or tibial stress fractures are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is established for a cervical disability due to active service. The Veteran also has secondary service connection for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy related to his cervical disability. Service connection is not established for bilateral shin splints or tibial stress fractures.

The Board has dismissed all issues related to increased ratings on an extraschedular basis for various back and knee conditions as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and a need for an additional VA examination.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 50 percent, and extraschedular consideration is not warranted.,The Veteran’s degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating than the current 40 percent evaluation.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the lower right extremity warrants a 20 percent rating, and his radiculopathy of the lower left extremity is rated at 20 percent.,The Veteran’s residuals of a right foot fracture are rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent, and his residuals of a left foot fracture are also rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent.,All remaining issues have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and lumbar spine arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including nasal deviation, right great toe disorder, heart disorder, gastritis, and sinusitis. The Board also denied service connection for radiculopathy in the upper and lower extremities.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his cervical spine disorder has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity has also been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, bilateral shoulder disorders, TBI, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity has been reopened. Service connection is granted for headaches and TBI. The claims for bilateral shoulder disorders and both types of radiculopathy are denied.