The Board denied service connection for cervical vertebrae conditions, including a chronic right cervical muscle strain. The decision was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The objective medical evidence did not support the appellant's claim that his current cervical spine symptoms were related to his injury in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical muscle strain, Degenerative changes with disc space narrowing at C5-6 and C6-7 levels
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2000
- Citation
- 0007584
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0007584.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective October 27, 1998. The rating will remain in effect until further notice.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for an acquired psychiatric disorder, headaches, and cervical muscle strain were granted. The remaining claims were denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability warrants a rating of 30 percent effective August 4, 2015, based on painful motion starting at less than 15 degrees.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his cervical and thoracic spine disabilities were denied. The reopened claims of service connection for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are pending.
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