The Board granted service connection for back injury and syrinx/hydromyelia, reopened the claims based on new evidence, and denied increased ratings for fibromyalgia, blepharospasm, small fiber neuropathy with autonomic dysfunction, and cervical spondylosis.

The deciding factor: The evidence of record did not support a higher rating for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, but it was sufficient to reopen claims for back injury and syrinx/hydromyelia based on new evidence.

Claimed conditions

back injury (claimed as lower back), syrinx/hydromyelia, fibromyalgia (claimed as undiagnosed illness-chronic joint pain), blepharospasm, left eye (claimed as trigeminal neuralgia in my face), blepharospasm, right eye (claimed as trigeminal neuralgia in my face), small fiber neuropathy with autonomic dysfunction, left lower extremity, neuritis of the left lower extremity, small fiber neuropathy with autonomic dysfunction, right lower extremity, neuritis of the right lower extremity, small fiber neuropathy with autonomic dysfunction, left upper extremity (claimed as undiagnosed illness-chronic joint pain), neuralgia of the left upper extremity, small fiber neuropathy with autonomic dysfunction, right upper extremity, neuralgia of the right upper extremity, cervical spondylosis, status post cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis

How they argued it

Reopened with new and material evidence

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 15, 2025

Citation

25012846

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine