The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that his impairment was analogous to forward flexion greater than 15 degrees without spinal ankylosis or prescribed bed rest.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's functional impairment did not warrant a higher rating based on limitation of motion due to pain or other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Fibromyalgia, Tarsal tunnel syndrome, Radiculopathy, Peripheral neuropathy, Limited motion of ankles, feet, knees, and hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1617537
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 1617537.
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 service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that there is no nexus between the current disability and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been granted due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities prior to October 22, 2008 are being remanded due to the need for additional retrospective medical opinions.
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