The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions were incurred in service.,Service connection was also granted for tension headaches. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and chronic fatigue syndrome have been denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran has current diagnoses of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine, and tension headaches, which were supported by service treatment records indicating treatment for back pain and neck issues during service. The private chiropractor's opinion linking these conditions to military service was considered significant probative value.,For left ear hearing loss and chronic fatigue syndrome, there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria or any competent evidence establishing that the disabilities were incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Left ear hearing loss, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194734
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 19194734.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 5, 2018, for the award of service connection for PTSD and denied earlier effective dates for erectile dysfunction, left ear hearing loss, migraines, and other conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
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