Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability. The remaining issues of service connection for left hip, left foot, and right foot disabilities are remanded due to lack of objective clinical tests supporting the Veteran's claims. Additionally, the cervical spine, bilateral knee, and cervical radiculopathy disabilities require new VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disability should be remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the issue of a separate rating for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity as secondary to the service-connected low back strain with arthritis and degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's lumbar disc herniation with sciatic depression is granted an initial rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, and mood disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional records from SSA and NARA need to be obtained.

The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, along with associated radiculopathies, have been granted increased ratings.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran is also being asked to provide VA treatment records and undergo examinations for his PTSD and diabetes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened, but the claim remains denied. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy were granted initial ratings of 20 percent each.

The Board denied service connection for alopecia, rectal disability (including hemorrhoids and polyps), skin disorder, foot disability, upper left extremity radiculopathy, sleep disorder, and bilateral knee disability as there was no evidence or argument linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his low back disability has been denied. The Board has also remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral radiculopathy and psychiatric disability, as well as TDIU due to the complexity of these issues.

The Board has ordered remand for the Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis of the low back, sciatica of the left lower extremity, and sciatica of the right lower extremity. The remand requires a new VA examination to address whether these conditions are related to military service or her service-connected low back strain, including an opinion on aggravation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral knee osteoarthritis, low back/lumbar condition, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. The denial was based on the lack of evidence showing that his conditions were aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for service-connected cervical spine disorder and right upper extremity radiculopathy prior to June 25, 2015 was denied as his education and work experience qualified him for sedentary substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's spouse is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on her need for aid and attendance due to multiple disabling conditions, including lumbar disc disease, cervical disc disease, major depression, and radiculopathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 10, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar IVDS was denied. A separate 10 percent rating for LLE radiculopathy as of February 19, 2010, and a separate 10 percent rating for RLE radiculopathy as of January 12, 2017, were granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for new examinations to assess his current disability levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The current VA examination is outdated, and a new one must be conducted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, lumbar degenerative disc disease/arthritis, major depression, lumbar radiculopathy, plantar fasciitis (left foot), and right shoulder osteoarthritis. As a result, the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure to provide adequate notice of relevant private treatment records.