The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate to decide the claims for cervical spine arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and left shoulder arthritis. The Veteran's symptoms of pain in his neck, shoulders, and arms during service have not been adequately addressed by the examiner.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to consider the Veteran's complaints about his bilateral shoulder and neck pain during service and did not provide adequate supporting rationale for their conclusions.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine arthritis (claimed as neck strain with pain), right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22051340
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 22051340.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's November 2018 notice of disagreement was timely, and the appeal is remanded for further review.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for all claims of service connection, including those for bilateral flat feet, thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right CTS, left CTS, essential tremors, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The appeal of sleep apnea was granted in a July 2024 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
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