The Veteran's chronic body pain, including fibromyalgia and joint/muscle conditions, were not found to be related to service or an undiagnosed illness. The Board denied the claims for these issues.
The deciding factor: VA examiners determined that the Veteran's current joint and muscle pains are not due to an undiagnosed illness under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317, nor are they related to service or a specific disease entity.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic body pain, Fibromyalgia (not diagnosed), Arthritis of the left shoulder, Ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1609257
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 1609257.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) eligibility, finding that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability prior to February 17, 2022.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection and has determined that he is entitled to service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine with bilateral IVDS, left shoulder arthritis, and right shoulder arthritis. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and arthritis of the left shoulder, finding that these conditions were aggravated by active duty service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded four issues: increased ratings for trapezius muscle injury and left upper extremity radiculopathy, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder. The Veteran is to be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities and their etiology.
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