Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's L5-S1 herniated nucleus pulposus, post discectomy, is rated at 40 percent since October 1, 2018. The left lower extremity radiculopathy with foot drop remains rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's increased ratings for radiculopathy and degenerative arthritis of the spine have been denied. The Veteran was granted a 20% rating for degenerative arthritis of the spine effective December 14, 2016.

An effective date of January 23, 2015 for the grant of service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is granted.,Effective dates earlier than June 27, 2016 are denied for the grants of service connection for tension headaches, TBI, tinnitus, mixed anxiety depressive disorder, left upper extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease.,The Veteran's December 31, 2015 claim referenced neurological damage which should have been recognized as claims including TBI and the nerve damage in his bilateral shoulders. However, no head injury nor left shoulder neurological damage was mentioned.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for instability of the right knee, and remanded other issues including ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, residuals of total knee replacements, DDD of the thoracolumbar spine, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbar strain from March 7, 2015 to the present was denied.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and entitlement to TDIU prior to April 1, 2015 are both remanded.

The Board denied service connection for low back, neck, and bilateral upper/lower extremity neurologic disabilities as they were not related to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right-hand burn residuals, as well as their impact on his occupational and daily functioning. The claims are not about service connection but rather about rating determinations.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities were granted increased ratings to 40% effective May 7, 2019.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy with sciatic nerve involvement was granted a 20% rating effective April 30, 2015.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sciatic nerve condition, finding that there is not competent evidence linking the condition to service or his service-connected cervical spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM II) due to its potential secondary nature to a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hand burn injury, lower back condition to include bilateral leg pain, neck burn injury, and face burn injury are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred in or caused by his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 20, 2013 for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, erectile dysfunction, and diabetes have been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral spine disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity due to deficiencies in prior examinations and lack of substantial compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations, specifically regarding the lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran will need a new examination to address these issues.

The Board dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates for right leg radiculopathy, tinnitus, and back disability as the Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding right leg radiculopathy. The claims for tinnitus and back disability were denied because no earlier claim was filed.

The appeal for a rating greater than 20 percent for the low back disability is denied. Ratings of 10 and 20 percent are granted for left leg radiculopathy from July 26, 2013 to April 12, 2018, and from April 13, 2018 respectively.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve disability has been granted a 20 percent initial rating since February 10, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including right and left foot disabilities, lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, TBI, left knee condition, right knee condition, and migraine headaches. The issues include determining whether pre-existing bilateral pes planus worsened during service and whether current plantar wart conditions are related to service.