The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder. However, upon review of the evidence, including VA examinations and private chiropractor opinions, the Veteran does not have a current disability of these conditions.,Service treatment records show no chronic back or neck problems during active duty. The Veteran's complaints were treated with chiropractic care while in service but she was found to be in good health at separation. Post-service evaluations by VA providers did not find any current disabilities of the cervical and thoracolumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a current disability of the cervical or thoracolumbar spine, nor is there sufficient medical nexus linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Cervical spine disorder, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2016
- Citation
- 1618999
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 1618999.
What this means for you
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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 service connection for a cervical spine disorder and psychiatric disorder due to incomplete information. The Veteran needs to provide his complete service personnel records, verify his alleged combat experience in Vietnam, and undergo VA examinations for both conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
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