Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and the propriety of a reduction in his ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided are not sufficient to determine whether any diagnosed conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disability, pulmonary embolism residuals, erectile dysfunction, cervical spine disability, and upper extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete evaluations and lack of opinions on service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's IVDS in the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate examination findings.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has also remanded this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such nature and severity as to have prevented him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, and there was insufficient evidence to consider an extraschedular TDIU. The Board found that the Veteran could still secure and follow substantially gainful employment despite his disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a spine condition manifesting in back pain, including fibromyalgia and degenerative arthritis, paralysis of the sciatic nerve of both lower extremities, major depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).,The remaining issues have been denied due to insufficient evidence or lack of nexus between service and current conditions.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for the Veteran's right hip disability and left hip disability is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's lumbar spine disability and radiculopathies effective November 30, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations and service connection was denied. His left hip disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder pain were all found to not meet the criteria for higher ratings or service connection.

The Board has remanded three issues: increased ratings for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left upper extremity, greater ratings for back disability and bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities. The Veteran is required to be examined again to assess his current severity and all manifestations of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The right lower extremity radiculopathy, ilio-inguinal nerve neuritis, headaches, and tinnitus have been rated based on their severity under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's sciatic neuropathy of both lower extremities is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has remanded the case for further development and re-adjudication.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, urinary incontinence, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy, depression, and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI).,Service connection was not granted as the Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected conditions have been denied.,Specifically, the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for degenerative disc disease and disc bulge of the lumbar spine has not met the criteria for such an increase.,His claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy was also denied as it did not meet the required criteria for a higher rating.,The left lower extremity radiculopathy claim was similarly denied, with no higher rating being warranted.,Finally, his claim for vertigo was denied, and an earlier effective date prior to December 26, 2006, was also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, low back disability with radiculopathy, testicular hypogonadism, and depressive disorder have been granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base.,Service connection has also been denied for bilateral cataracts.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent, and her left lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 20 percent. The lumbar spine disability remains remanded for further examination.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is not granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (median), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (median), left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (sciatic), and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (sciatic) have been granted. The Veteran is now rated at 20 percent for each of the four conditions, with no higher ratings.

The Board denied service connection for DJD of the left knee, degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the cervical spine, and radiculopathy of the upper extremities (claimed as median neuritis) as these conditions are not found to be directly or secondary to a service-connected disability.,Specifically, the Board determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's left knee DJD, cervical spine degenerative arthritis and IVDS, or radiculopathy of the upper extremities (claimed as median neuritis) to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted effective dates of December 18, 2017 for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right upper extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's claims were reopened on new evidence received after his initial claim in 2008.