Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's spouse is not found to be in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound status, as she can manage her daily activities with assistance when needed.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.,The Veteran’s claims for higher ratings related to lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and Bell's Palsy were not addressed as they are not on appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his low back disability, radiculopathy of the lower left extremity, and radiculopathy of the lower right extremity have been dismissed as he withdrew these claims prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for clotrimazole and hydrophilic creams due to lack of connection with a service-connected skin disability. The case is remanded for further consideration regarding the bilateral knee braces.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to errors in obtaining medical records and inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is being evaluated again, a new examination of his back disability and neurological disabilities is needed, and the TDIU on a schedular basis only is also being remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted service connection, while left ear hearing loss and hypertension are denied. The initial ratings for upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy are also granted.

The Veteran's right ankle scar is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has determined that a compensable rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 40 percent is warranted.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU rating effective June 7, 2010 due to his service-connected lower back pain and right lower extremity radiculopathy preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The Veteran has also had his previously denied claims of service connection for knee disorders reopened.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient evidence and potential service connection issues.

The reduction of the rating from 20 percent to noncompensable for radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, effective June 1, 2012 was improper and restored a 20 percent rating. The issue of an increased rating for right shoulder impingement is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected CAD was reduced from 60% to 30%, and his benefits were restored effective July 1, 2015. Service connection for hypertension, lumbar strain, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and diabetes mellitus (type II) have been granted with effective dates of October 28, 2010.

The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder degenerative joint disease and remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar degenerative changes with radiculopathy and acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is now pending again due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has decided that the evidence does not adequately address the nature and etiology of the lower extremity disabilities, including the theory of service connection for radiculopathy of the lower extremities on a secondary basis to his service connected back disability. The Veteran's case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, low back disability, and degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder are all granted with initial ratings.,Specifically, the Veteran is now rated at 40% for his service-connected radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities effective March 15, 2018. His service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right knee is also rated at 20% effective March 15, 2018.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's residuals of fractured left ankle and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and right leg shortening, but denied service connection for a cervical spine fracture. The decision is based on new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Veteran's claim for an extraschedular TDIU from June 30, 2009 to December 29, 2014 was denied as the preponderance of the evidence did not show that he was unable to secure or follow any form of substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity prior to November 28, 2018 are rated at 20 percent each. The appeal is granted as the disability ratings are found to be correct.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The issues include determining if a lumbar disability is service-connected, with an emphasis on verifying the Veteran's duty status during his National Guard service.