The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for muscle tension, finding that it is a symptom of her already service-connected cervical spine spondylosis and bilateral shoulder arthritis. The issue of an initial compensable disability rating for acne vulgaris will be addressed in a separate decision.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's muscle tension was a symptom of her service-connected cervical spine spondylosis with muscle spasms and bilateral shoulder arthritis, which precludes separate service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- muscle tension, cervical spine spondylosis with muscle spasms, bilateral shoulder arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2017
- Citation
- 1702798
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 1702798.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions including bilateral shoulder arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, neck pain, arthritis of the low back, and right hand arthritis due to inconsistencies in his statements regarding the onset and chronicity of symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has found that the Veteran experienced arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, hips, lumbar spine, and left knee since active duty service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for entitlement to service connection for bilateral shoulder arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination and potential outstanding private records.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and bilateral hip arthritis, but denied service connection for bilateral shoulder arthritis. The decision also denied increased ratings for knee disabilities and a compensable rating for PFB.
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