Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has not been received to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a heart disorder, hypertension, low back disorder, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy, right and left knee disorders, and bilateral foot disorder. As such, these claims are denied.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to new and relevant evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now remanded for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or aggravation and insufficient evidence to support secondary service connection due to his right knee osteoarthritis.

The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities have been denied. The case has also been remanded to determine if ankylosis is present.,A TDIU claim has been remanded as well.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Service connection was granted for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD, but remanded for further development regarding this condition.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to insufficient evidence linking them to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decisions.,The Board is also remanding his service connection claim for right ear hearing loss.

Service connection is granted for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus type 2.,Service connection is denied for osteoarthritis of the left hand, osteoarthritis of the right hand, and ventral hernia.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including psoriasis, cervical spine disability, low back disability, radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremities, left shoulder disability, residuals of a left fibula scar, and other conditions, have rendered him unemployable since August 23, 2013. The Board has granted TDIU benefits from that date.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings for MDD, the propriety of reducing the disability rating for varicose veins, and seeking an earlier effective date for sciatic nerve radiculopathy. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis beginning December 20, 2014.

The Veteran's radiculopathy (femoral nerve) of the left lower extremity and spinal stenosis with thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease are granted effective December 2, 2020. The initial rating for the spinal stenosis prior to that date is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a retrospective opinion to determine the severity of the service-connected cervical spine disability from December 21, 2005, and to the present. The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy as secondary to a service-connected back disability. The claims for left hand disability, syncope, and sinusitis are remanded pending VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right upper extremity radiculopathy and to consider the possibility of separate ratings for different radicular groups.

The Veteran's appeal for increased disability ratings is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a retrospective opinion on functional loss of his lumbar spine.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted. The effective date for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy remains December 21, 2017. The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for entitlement to service connection for vertigo due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of service connection have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the severity of his lower extremity radiculopathy and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for his back disability or lower left extremity radiculopathy, and remanded some of his claims due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal for all six issues, including an increased rating for cervical spine disability, migraine headaches, and initial ratings for cervical radiculopathy of the upper extremities. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits have also been withdrawn.