Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, lumbar sprain (low back condition), left lower extremity nerve condition, and right lower extremity nerve condition. Service connection was granted for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the claimed conditions due to lack of current diagnoses or evidence of functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic allergic rhinitis, an undiagnosed illness manifested by gastrointestinal symptoms, rotator cuff strain and arthritis of the acromioclavicular joint of the left shoulder, and hypertension have all been granted. The initial rating for hypertension is set at 10 percent.

Service connection for a right knee disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, and lumbar spine disability is granted.,A rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right shoulder disability has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further examination and determination.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 60 percent prior to May 3, 2016 and denied for increased ratings thereafter. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 30 percent rating. His residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right shoulder are not rated higher than 40 percent on an extraschedular basis.,The Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder condition is related to service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability is being remanded for further evaluation and to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to his right shoulder disability. The right shoulder disability claim is also being remanded for a new examination, including nerve/sensory evaluation of the right upper extremity and hand. The TDIU claim is intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but the issues of service connection for a shoulder condition, residuals of a back injury, bilateral hearing loss, disability manifested by earaches, tinnitus, and headaches are remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a cyst along the left posterior inferior glenohumeral joint with irregularity of the posterior labrum and chronic left shoulder pain, tinnitus, and right knee strain and chondromalacia. The back disability was denied as there is no current evidence of a back disability.

The Board found that the termination of the TDIU rating from February 1, 2004 was proper due to the Veteran's actual employability at that time.

The Board has dismissed all appeals regarding service connection for various disabilities, including left and right shoulder disabilities, obstructive sleep apnea, heart disability (CAD), left and right wrist disabilities, and paralysis of the median nerve. The Veteran withdrew his appeals for these issues during a videoconference hearing.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for his right and left shoulder disabilities, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, bilateral hand numbness (or carpal tunnel syndrome), and bilateral hand eczema. The remand requests that a new VA examination be scheduled for each of these conditions to provide opinions on whether they are related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and pes planus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether pre-existing conditions were aggravated by service. The Veteran is presumed sound upon entry, so the burden shifts to the government to provide clear and unmistakable evidence that any current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for kidney stones, and initial compensable evaluations for chronic hand tendonitis and residual scars of the right ring and little fingers were dismissed. The appeals for increased evaluations for various shoulder disabilities, hip conditions, foot issues, urinary stress incontinence, and acne rosacea are all pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder, right ankle, alopecia, or anxiety disorder disability.,Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder tendonitis and tendinosis is at least as likely as not related to his active service, including a diagnosis of bursitis in 1976. As such, the claim for service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that further medical examination and opinion are needed to determine the nature and etiology of sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, and left thumb nerve and/or ligament disability. The appeals for these conditions will be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating, as PTSD does not result in total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether his right shoulder disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disorder. The initial rating claim for left shoulder disability remains denied.