Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and bilateral cervical radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's claims, including obtaining additional medical records, scheduling VA examinations, and providing a more detailed opinion regarding his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of bilateral upper extremities has been granted, with a rating of 30 percent. The other conditions and issues have either not met the criteria for higher ratings or were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence added since the last Statement of the Case. The claims will be reviewed again, including a TDIU claim.

Your claim for service connection for LLE radiculopathy, to include as secondary to a lumbar spine disability has been granted and is effective August 23, 2017. The appeal is dismissed because the claim has been fully resolved.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as there is no longer a case or controversy regarding service connection for numbness of the left leg, as it was granted in October 2019.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, other than scoliosis, is not service connected as it did not manifest within one year of discharge and there is no evidence that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and service connection were denied. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional development, specifically a VA examination for her right arm and/or shoulder disorders.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA examinations for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity disabilities, as well as to ensure compliance with current rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further action consistent with the terms of a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected PTSD is being remanded, as well as his TDIU prior to September 13, 2016.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral lower extremity disabilities and several other conditions, have resulted in a combined rating of 100 percent. The Board has granted SMC benefits at the (r)(1) rate based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. Additionally, the Veteran is eligible for specially adapted housing as he meets the criteria for loss or use of both lower extremities.

The Veteran's cluster headaches, RLE radiculopathy, and GERD have been granted increased ratings of 30 percent each. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to address the severity of her cervical spine condition, as well as her right arm, bilateral hand, and bilateral upper extremity conditions. The VA will need to obtain updated medical records and conduct new examinations to determine the current nature and extent of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, higher initial ratings for his disabilities, and nonservice-connected pension are being remanded due to the need to obtain SSA records and updated income information.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right and left shoulder disorders, ulcers, prostate disorder, hemoglobin disorder, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, cardiac disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, kidney disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, eye disorder, and hypertension. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and private provider information. The Veteran may also undergo a VA examination to assess his current low back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's back disability is not rated higher than 20 percent, and his lower extremity radiculopathies are each rated at 10 percent.,The left ankle fracture residuals warrant a 20 percent rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to February 25, 2014, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not been shown to preclude substantially gainful employment prior to April 7, 2011. Therefore, entitlement to a TDIU is denied for the period prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran was unemployable by reason of his service-connected back disability prior to August 8, 2012. The claim is now referred to the Director, Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.