Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right shoulder, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities due to potential service connection issues. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service or preexisting conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck disability and cervical radiculopathy due to the need for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy for the period prior to October 7, 2016. The new examination could result in evidence supporting these claims.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied.,Effective July 14, 2012, the Veteran was granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, reflux esophagitis, lumbar spine disability with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right foot plantar fasciitis, limitation of right knee flexion, limitation of right knee extension, and right knee scars. The effective dates for these conditions have not been changed.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be related to his in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the issues of entitlement to service connection for OSA and an effective date earlier than March 15, 2016 for the award of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and lumbosacral neuritis/radiculopathy disabilities are granted as secondary to her service-connected left knee arthritis.,Her bipolar disorder is granted based on evidence showing it had its onset during service, with symptoms continuing since then.,Her sleep apnea is granted as secondary to her service-connected bipolar disorder.

The Board denied separate disability ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding no evidence of a neurological condition stemming from the service-connected lumbar spine disorder.,Separate disability ratings were not granted as there is no objective medical evidence supporting the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's initial schedular rating for tinnitus is denied as it is the highest available.,An extraschedular rating for tinnitus is also denied due to the maximum schedular rating being assigned.,Service connection for hearing loss is not granted because the Veteran does not have hearing impairment for VA purposes.,Effective from November 8, 2012, a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral DDD is granted. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected thoracolumbar spine strain is granted, subject to the rules and regulations governing the payment of VA monetary benefits. The claims for service connection for various conditions are denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to the need for additional records from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and examination, as some records are missing or not properly obtained.

The Veteran's appeals seeking higher ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing all pending appeals.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine disability, cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, neck scars, status post right wrist bone fusion, sensory neuropathy of the lower left extremity, and bone graft scars. The Board dismissed these claims as a result.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension was reopened and granted.,Obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to major depressive disorder.,Service connection for cataracts, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, chronic right hip strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are all granted with effective dates of February 28, 2013.,Coronary artery disease is granted with an effective date of January 28, 2013.

The Board has remanded the issues of increasing ratings for various service-connected conditions and is also considering a claim for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The TDIU claim will be considered in conjunction with the other claims.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The Board also remanded the cases of his cervical spine and left upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating of right knee disability due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's current lumbar spine diagnoses are also being reviewed as part of this process.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected degenerative changes at C4-C5, C5-C6, and C6-C7. However, his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome remains denied.