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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1609257.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.