Shoulder decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine have been denied. The claim for hypertension has also been denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability and bilateral hand disabilities are not related to his period of service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's right shoulder and low back disabilities do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent throughout the course of this appeal.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected right shoulder injury with biceps tendonitis is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder strain with recurrent dislocations, but denied service connection for leg cramps and left shoulder disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder blade injury, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of a left shoulder condition, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for further examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a neck disorder, headache disorder, and left shoulder disorder. The conditions are not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims of service connection for skin, psychiatric and shoulder disabilities as new and material evidence has been received. The RO denied these claims in October 1996 based on lack of current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the evidence does not establish a nexus between the veteran's current hip and shoulder disorders and his military service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and right hip disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The VA denied an increased disability rating for the veteran's right shoulder condition, currently rated at 30 percent.

The veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 10% due to prostrating attacks occurring once every two months. The veteran's sinusitis and rhinitis are rated at 30% based on six non-incapacitating episodes per year with symptoms like headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting. The right shoulder impingement syndrome is rated at 20%, meeting the criteria for limitation of motion to abduction between 100-180 degrees.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of April 24, 1994 for the grant of service connection and a compensable rating for left arm disability, low back disability, and left shoulder disability.

The Board found that the evidence does not support service connection for a right shoulder condition, as it is more likely due to a pre-existing condition or unrelated to service. The veteran's cervical spine and scoliosis conditions were also not supported by the evidence.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current tinnitus, hearing loss, muscle spasms, leg disability, right upper extremity disability, or right hip disability to his military service. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability. The reopened claim is granted.

The VA denied service connection for PTSD, a skin condition of the hands (specifically claimed as a fungus infection of the fingernails), and a left shoulder disorder.,There is no evidence of a diagnosed PTSD. The veteran reported stressors but did not meet criteria for PTSD diagnosis.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings in various service-connected disabilities were denied. The right knee disability was rated at 10 percent prior to November 12, 2004 and 30 percent from January 1, 2006. Other conditions had their respective ratings either unchanged or not addressed.