Radiculopathy & sciatica Board decisions

The Board has ordered remand for further development regarding the propriety of severance of service connection for DDD of the lumbosacral spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The issues are inextricably intertwined due to the interrelated nature of the disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, finding no current disability or diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed PTSD diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings of right knee laxity and chondromalacia patella was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal.,A 40 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is granted, effective from December 6, 2013.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and neuropathy of the left leg, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's right lower radiculopathy was rated at 20 percent prior to December 18, 2009 and remains so. The Board found the symptoms were moderate in severity.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right lumbar radiculopathy and service connection for right hip bursitis were denied. The claim for service connection of headaches was remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular rating requirements for a TDIU, and the preponderance of the evidence is against finding that his service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives and failure to provide VA examinations. The Veteran's service connection claim for major depressive disorder, as well as her rating claims for headaches, radiculopathy of lower extremities, and DDD of back are all being remanded.

Effective June 2, 2014, a rating of 40 percent for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with compression fracture at L2 is granted.,Beginning July 7, 2016, a separate rating of 60 percent for neurogenic bladder is granted. Beginning December 7, 2016, a separate rating of 30 percent for fecal incontinence is granted.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, but the Board has remanded for further clarification on whether diabetes contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, thoracolumbar spine was denied. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy effective December 17, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claims for a separate compensable rating for LLE radiculopathy and entitlement to TDIU due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran needs further medical evaluation to determine if he has LLE radiculopathy.

The Veteran's back disability was previously rated at 20 percent prior to April 21, 2017 and is now rated at 40 percent after that date.,Radiculopathy in both lower extremities remains a pending issue for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy affecting the sciatic nerve are being remanded due to the need for additional examination and evaluation.,Specifically, the Board finds that a VA examination is required to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the hip claims for further development. The sciatic nerve and hearing loss claims are denied as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral sciatic nerve condition or bilateral hearing loss, respectively, and the Veteran's assertions have not been supported by competent medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gallbladder condition, hiatal hernia, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus. The rating for lumbar spine disability was also denied. However, a separate 10 percent rating was granted for right lumbar radiculopathy, and a 70 percent rating was granted for adjustment disorder with anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of vocational rehabilitation and functional capacity evaluations, which were not provided by a vocational rehabilitation counselor as directed in the previous August 2019 remand. The Veteran's service-connected conditions include posttraumatic stress disorder, right lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain, right hip osteoarthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and several other disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the receipt of additional relevant evidence after a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was issued. The SSOC must be furnished and the claims will be readjudicated with consideration of the new evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.