Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been granted effective July 18, 2013.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including lumbar spine disorder, left-leg residuals of broken leg, right-knee disorder, right-ankle disorder, left-ankle disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia disorder, right-lower-extremity radiculopathy, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and depression) are not service-connected.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was restored to 30% effective October 1, 2017. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected PTSD is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if the Veteran's sciatica is related to his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent since April 24, 2017.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent since April 24, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's hypertension rating is dismissed. The lower back disability rating is restored to 40 percent, effective June 17, 2016. Other ratings are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability is considered a contributory cause of his death.

The Board is remanding the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and reviewing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, tension headaches, cervical spine IVDS with DDD, LUE radiculopathy, RUE radiculopathy, and sleep disorder has been granted. The effective date of service connection is set at June 19, 2013. A rating of 50 percent for tension headaches is also granted.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathies (sciatic) associated with lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, intervertebral disc syndrome have been rated at 20 percent each. The Board denied an increased rating for these conditions.

The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatica is granted an initial 40 percent evaluation, but no higher. The lumbosacral strain with osteoarthritis, thoracic spine remains rated at 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy from May 13, 2010 to August 21, 2017 was granted.,The Veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 20 percent for service-connected lumbosacral strain prior to and after August 22, 2017 were denied.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy was granted. The rating for chronic bronchitis remains at noncompensable (0%). Service connection for a sleep disorder other than apnea is remanded.,Effective dates prior to October 15, 2015 were denied for cervical strain, right knee arthritis with meniscal tear and patella chondromalacia, and tinnitus service connection claims.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied prior to August 3, 2016 and remanded for further evaluation of his TDIU claim from August 3, 2016 to August 16, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for PTSD, lumbar spine disabilities, and left sciatic nerve disability due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial ratings for various service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The examinations did not review the claims file or recent treatment records, which may have affected their conclusions.

The Veteran received emergency medical treatment at Baylor Medical Center on August 19, 2013 due to severe leg pain and elevated blood pressure. The Board found that the nearest available appropriate level of care was at a non-VA medical center (Baylor Medical Center), and that there were no VA facilities feasibly available for immediate treatment. Therefore, payment is granted.

The Veteran's nerve damage, bilateral hearing loss, and TDIU claims were all denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for further development and examination. The main issues are related to service connection, rating higher than 30 percent for bilateral pes planus, and psychiatric disability.