The Veteran's service records show multiple complaints and treatment related to his hands, feet, ankles, upper extremities, lower extremities, and back during service. The Veteran contends that these conditions had their onset or are otherwise related to service. However, the VA examinations have not provided a clear opinion on whether any of these conditions were present in service or are otherwise related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not provide sufficient opinions regarding the etiology and onset of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hand disorder with hyperhidrosis, Left hand disorder with hyperhidrosis, Right foot hallux valgus, Left foot hallux valgus, Right ankle disorder, Left ankle disorder, Idiopathic edema variant of the right upper extremity, including Buerger's disease, Idiopathic edema variant of the left upper extremity, including Buerger's disease, Idiopathic edema variant of the right lower extremity, including Buerger's Disease, Idiopathic edema variant of left lower extremity, including Buerger's disease, Chronic pain, Raynaud's disease, Low back disorder, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2022
- Citation
- A22020607
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 A22020607.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches, which manifested as very frequent and prolonged attacks causing severe economic inadaptability, are granted a 50 percent disability rating for the entire period on appeal.
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