The Board has determined that the Veteran's joint and nerve pain is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected HIV, and therefore, denied all claims for secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: No competent medical provider has opined that the Veteran's joint or nerve pain is the result of, or aggravated by, his HIV. The VA examination indicated there is no connection between the Veteran's existing joint pain and states the joint pain is more likely attributable to the function of the Veteran's life and his genetic predisposition.
- Claimed conditions
- Joint/nerve pain of the lumbar spine, Bilateral joint/nerve pain of the knees, Bilateral joint/nerve pain of the hips, Bilateral joint/nerve pain of the shoulders, Bilateral joint/nerve pain of the feet, Left hand carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2017
- Citation
- 1749696
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1749696.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted with effective dates of December 13, 2019.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded service connection claims.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including an allergy disorder, bilateral pes planus, a left ankle disorder, and others, as there was no evidence of current disabilities or that the claimed conditions were related to service.
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