Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to bipolar disorder and lumbar strain with neuropathic back pain and lumbar radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, effective September 8, 2010.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine, radiculopathies affecting various extremities, OSA, hepatic steatosis, and supraventricular arrhythmia.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the increased ratings of left and right cubital tunnel syndrome with ulnar nerve entrapment, elbow medial epicondylitis, and triceps tendinopathy with triceps spurs, as well as left and right sciatica and restless leg syndrome.

The Board granted an effective date of November 13, 2008, for the grant of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and eligibility for DEA benefits.

The Board granted service connection for sciatic radicular pain of the right lower extremity, right knee pain, and left knee pain. The claims for chronic sinusitis, a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain, a rating in excess of 70 percent for mood disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for urinary frequency with nocturia were denied. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims were remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or housebound criteria, as there was no evidence that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to care for daily personal needs without assistance from others or substantially confined him to his dwelling.

The Board remands the claim for a refund of a VA funding fee to obtain additional records and readjudicate the decision with consideration that the Veteran was still on active duty and receiving service pay at the time of the closing of his home loan.

The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, sinusitis, and tinnitus. A 10 percent rating was granted for chronic headaches from December 22, 2021.

The Board granted an increased disability evaluation to 40 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy, effective January 3, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine conditions, left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee disabilities and lower extremity radiculopathy to obtain a medical opinion discounting the beneficial effects of medication.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied service connection for various other conditions, including cluster headaches, traumatic brain injury, allergic rhinitis, and others. Some claims were remanded.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease as secondary to PTSD. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches effective August 26, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of left lower extremity radiculopathy due to a duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with bilateral radiculopathy, finding that it is a continuation of and caused by in-service back pain.

The Board granted increased ratings of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain and 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve. The claim for service connection for right knee strain was remanded.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent disability rating for femoral and sciatic nerve radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, effective October 10, 2023. The issues related to increased ratings and service connection for sleep apnea were remanded.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's lower left nerve conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for left and right sciatica radicular pain, a disability rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, and remanded the claim for a higher rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The appeal of the proposed reduction of the 20 percent disability rating assigned to the Veteran's SI joint dysfunction, to include sciatica, to a 10 percent disability rating is dismissed.