The Board has remanded the claims for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The appeal requires further development to obtain necessary medical opinions regarding the Veteran's conditions and their relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, heart condition (chest pain), vision loss, thoracolumbar spine disorder (arthritis, osteoarthritis, nerve pain, muscle damage, back pain), lower extremity radiculopathy, cervical spine disorder (cervical stenosis, degenerative disc disease, cervical pain), right hip disorder (trochanter pain syndrome), kidney disorder (renal insufficiency), arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, joint pain), fibromyalgia, shoulder disorder (shoulder pain), varicose veins (leg and calf pain), carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) (radiculopathy, tendonitis, pain and numbness of the hands, arms, and fingers), restless leg syndrome, acid reflux
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2026
- Citation
- 26002234
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 26002234.
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 service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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