The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right upper extremity radiculopathy, limitation of motion of the cervical spine, and occipital headaches do not warrant an initial rating in excess of the currently assigned evaluations.
The deciding factor: The objective medical evidence does not support a finding of more than characteristic pain, weakness, and limitations of manual dexterity for right upper extremity radiculopathy. For limitation of motion of the cervical spine, there is no clinical evidence of moderate limitation of cervical spine motion. For occipital headaches as residuals of cervical spine surgery, there is no diagnosis of migraine or dementia associated with brain trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- Limitation of motion of the cervical spine, Occipital headaches as a residual of cervical spine surgery, Right upper extremity radiculopathy (major)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0613582
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0613582.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, and individual unemployability due to inadequate examination reports and inextricably intertwined issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his cervical spine disability and associated upper extremity radiculopathy, as well as his claim for individual unemployability. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and procedural errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status, as he could manage his daily activities with assistance from his wife.
- Denied
The veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability has been rated based on the criteria for degenerative disc disease and related radiculopathy. The appeals for higher ratings have not met the established criteria under the current rating schedule.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.