Shoulder Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder and bilateral carpal tunnel disabilities are not related to service or a service-connected disability. The claim for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tension headaches, seizure disorder, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability are all related to his active duty service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the disability rating for right shoulder bursitis, status-post superior labral tear from anterior to posterior lesion repair from 60% to 30%, effective October 31, 2008, was not proper.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder, neck, and upper extremity disabilities are not related to service. The Veteran's pre-existing condition did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is being remanded for additional development to determine if it is related to service, including repetitive use in his loadmaster duties, and whether it is aggravated by his service-connected lumbar spine and/or cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims for service connection for left shoulder and low back disorders can be decided.

The Veteran's appeals for higher disability ratings for bursitis of the right shoulder and left shoulder have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability prior to June 6, 2014 has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn due to his request in a March 2017 statement.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings related to hearing loss, psoriasis, and secondary disabilities are dismissed as the issues were withdrawn.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for a Travel Board hearing at the appropriate RO. The case will be returned to the Board if further action is required.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to his service, and denied the claim. The left shoulder issue remains pending as it was remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, a heart disability, and a bilateral shoulder disability. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions are related to his military service.,Service treatment records do not show any diagnosis of diabetes or its complications during service. The September 2015 VA examiner opined it would be speculative to determine if the Veteran's current diabetes is caused by his service-connected pancreatitis.

The Veteran's left heel spur condition was largely asymptomatic prior to June 27, 2016. For the period beginning June 27, 2016, his disability has been manifested by moderate symptomatology.,For the period beginning June 27, 2016, the Veteran's right shoulder condition was rated at 20 percent effective September 23, 2016. The rating is based on the severity of his symptoms and functional impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her service-connected lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder disabilities, cervical spine disability, and upper extremity neurological impairments. The evaluation for DDD of the lumbar spine was found to be inadequate prior to June 21, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including providing VA examinations to assess whether the Veteran has current right shoulder and right knee disorders related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left shoulder arthritis are related to service, thus granting the claims for service connection.

For the period prior to February 26, 2009, the Veteran's PTSD symptoms more nearly approximated occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. A 50 percent rating was granted effective February 26, 2009.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent since the grant of service connection. The appeal for a higher initial evaluation was denied as there is no evidence that the current rating adequately reflects the severity, frequency, and duration of his symptoms.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by painful motion and without ankylosis or other severe impairment, warrants a 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed stomach, shoulder, elbow, hip, wrist, knee, and asthma disorders are not etiologically related to his active duty service, including service during the Persian Gulf War. As a result, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder SLAP tear is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.