The Veteran's claim for service connection for an upper spine condition (neck pain) secondary to herniated nucleous pulpus L5-S1 and his bilateral lower extremity sciatica has been denied. The Board found no competent evidence of a current upper neck or spine condition, nor any nexus between the Veteran's service-connected herniated nucleous pulposus L5-S1 and these conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not establish that the Veteran currently has an upper spine or neck condition, nor is there sufficient credible lay evidence to support a finding of such. The April 2010 VA examination report did not diagnose any current upper neck or spine condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Herniated Nucleus Pulposus L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2015
- Citation
- 1517216
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 1517216.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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