The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection of various joint and muscle conditions, including left shoulder strain, limitation of flexion; right shoulder strain, limitation of flexion; left elbow strain, limitation of flexion; right elbow strain, limitation of flexion; left knee strain, limitation of flexion; right knee strain, limitation of flexion; left thumb condition; left index finger condition; left long finger condition; left ring finger condition; and left pinky finger condition. The Board also denied earlier effective dates for service connection of irritable bowel syndrome.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's initial claims were denied in March 2007, which became final. No new evidence was submitted to reopen the claims until January 17, 2022, when a supplemental claim application was filed. The Board granted service connection for these conditions effective from January 17, 2022.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain, limitation of flexion, right shoulder strain, limitation of flexion, left shoulder strain, limitation of extension, right shoulder strain, limitation of extension, left elbow strain, limitation of flexion, right elbow strain, limitation of flexion, left elbow strain, limitation of extension, right elbow strain, limitation of extension, left knee strain, limitation of flexion, right knee strain, limitation of flexion, right knee strain, limitation of extension, left thumb condition, left index finger condition, left long finger condition, left ring finger condition, left pinky finger condition, tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26012015
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 A26012015.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims on appeal, including obtaining any outstanding treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's representative also requested reevaluation of his service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches as secondary to his service-connected sleep apnea, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, and GERD. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise between the conflicting opinions regarding causation.
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