Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the rating assigned for cervical spine degenerative joint disease and upper extremity radiculopathy, including failure to address certain evidence and lack of clear criteria for assigning ratings.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities would have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, skills, training, and work history.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the Veteran's radicular symptoms of the bilateral lower extremities and their relation to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as he was continually employed full-time, his earnings were above the poverty threshold, and he was not employed in a protected environment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities due to inadequate previous opinions. The Veteran's hip disabilities are being reviewed again to determine if they are caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted.,Service connection has been established for allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA and/or private treatment records, scheduling a VA medical examination to determine the current severity of lumbar spine strain and radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and providing retrospective opinions on when radiculopathy manifested.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates related to scar of the right lumbar region, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve), radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (femoral nerve), and IVDS as the Veteran's authorized representative requested withdrawal of all issues in October 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension under the PACT Act, but remanded other claims due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right sciatic radiculopathy, left knee degenerative arthritis, and major depressive disorder are not rated higher than the current assigned ratings.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 40 percent for right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, 30 percent for left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, and 20 percent each for right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (sciatic nerve) effective December 9, 2021. Separate compensable ratings are denied for the femoral nerves.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability and left knee disability have been remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding whether his disabilities are secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations related to sciatica of the lower extremities, uveitis, and right leg length discrepancy due to incomplete medical records and inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's left leg disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's back disability is not related to service and did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability, including degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, is at least as likely as not related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

An effective date of April 22, 2018, is granted for the increase to a 20 percent rating for IVDS.,A rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,TDIU is granted due to service-connected disabilities resulting in functional impairment that precludes substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed as the Veteran has not appealed the effective date or rating assigned. The claim for thyroid cancer is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability with sciatica, including as secondary to service-connected bilateral foot disability due to inadequate opinions on causation and aggravation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 20, 2021, finding that he was substantially gainfully employed and earning an annual income in excess of the poverty threshold.