Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was denied.,Effective dates were granted for a 10% rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) and left lower extremity (LLE), both effective January 28, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are likely to prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment, leading to a TDIU. The claims for increased ratings in various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and temporary total evaluations due to various issues related to a blood clot on the brain. The Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are alleged to have caused or aggravated his subdural hematoma, but the VA examiner did not address whether this was the case in their opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or TDIU.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are being remanded for further evaluation as his claims have increased in severity since the last examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain is remanded. His hypertension claim is also remanded as it may be related to herbicide exposure or diabetes.,The Board has decided that a higher rating for the Veteran's lumbar strain is not warranted at any point during the appeal period, and the matter of service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities secondary to his service-connected lumbar strain is remanded. The hypertension claim is also remanded as it may be related to herbicide exposure or diabetes.,The Veteran's hypertension has not been assigned a rating and no effective date has been established.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for various service-connected disabilities, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine disability, depressive disorder, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The case is also being remanded to consider an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, other than MDD/unspecified depressive disorder. The appeals for higher ratings for lumbar strain with degenerative lumbar disc disease, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremity, and bronchitis and sleep apnea have also been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's chronic mechanical lumbar spine syndrome with left lower extremity radiculopathy is granted as service connected. The issues of service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating of his left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as his TDIU claim based on his thoracolumbar spine disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling VA examinations to address the Veteran's claims. The effective date of a 10 percent rating for scars associated with cystic acne face and neck is granted.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each, effective from May 28, 2014. The left lower extremity radiculopathy was also granted a higher rating of 20 percent from November 16, 2018 to December 15, 2019. However, the Veteran's request for a higher rating for his left lower extremity radiculopathy before and after this period is denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased disability ratings for left and right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, as well as his claim for service connection for a right hip disorder due to the Veteran opting into the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) review system.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for his lumbar spine and sciatic nerve disabilities were denied. The VA found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, or Gulf War Syndrome.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, including right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, is granted as secondary to his service-connected cervical degenerative disc disease.,Service connection for right lower and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy (previously characterized as muscle pain) is also granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and sciatica due to incomplete records of her Reserve service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the Veteran has current disabilities of RLE radiculopathy/neuropathy and BUE peripheral neuropathy, and whether these conditions are related to his service-connected back disability or in-service exposure to herbicide agents.