Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's case is being remanded for a video conference hearing at the RO. The appeal involves service connection for sacral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, which may be related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain disability.

The Board found no evidence of a right hip disorder, left hip disorder, lumbar spine disorder, heart disorder (to include hypertension), or left lower extremity sciatica and numbness that were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a medical opinion regarding the severity of his right lower extremity sciatica and issuance of an effective date SOC.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability. Claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his intervertebral disc syndrome and radiculopathy were granted, but the ratings are limited to 10 percent prior to March 2006 and 20 percent since May 1, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 10, 2009. The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's radiculopathy involving the lower extremities is related to his service-connected degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral foot condition, lumbar spine condition, and sciatica of the right lower extremity are still pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of L5-S1 level neural foraminal stenosis with associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is at least as likely as not incurred during active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are not of such nature and severity as to prevent her from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left wrist disability does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture warranting extra-schedular consideration. The TDIU claim is also denied as it is not supported by evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and sciatica, effective January 17, 1994. The effective date of the grant is now set at January 7, 2005.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her low back disability and associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies due to a lack of recent VA treatment records and an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, including left sciatica symptoms and spondylolysis with grade 1-2 spondylolisthesis, L5 on S1, is etiologically related to his active service. Service connection for this condition has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he claims, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities has been granted with initial compensable disability ratings (10%) under service connection for secondary to a pre-existing back disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and determining whether an examination is required. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's lumbar strain and associated left leg radiculopathy have not been shown to warrant a higher initial rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was granted, with the effective date set at March 9, 2005. The Veteran is currently rated at 40 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy and 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy from March 9, 2005 to July 23, 2009, with the effective date set at that time. The Board also granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.