Citation Nr: 21064750 Decision Date: 10/21/21 Archive Date: 10/21/21 DOCKET NO. 18-17 725 DATE: October 21, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for upper back disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a left hip disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for a right hip disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for right sciatic nerve disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from May 1990 to July 1992. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a July 2016 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In July 2021, the Veteran testified at a Board video conference hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge. A transcript of this hearing is of record. 1. Entitlement to service connection for an upper back disability 2. Entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine 3. Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability 4. Entitlement to service connection for a left hip disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability 5. Entitlement to service connection for a right hip disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability 6. Entitlement to service connection for right sciatic nerve disability, to include as secondary to upper back disability During her Board hearing, the Veteran testified that while doing some crawling in duty training, she flipped over to crawl on her back and hit herself on a rock. She also testified that she had back pain with right sciatic pain in service. She stated she started seeing a chiropractor immediately after discharge. On her June 1992 report of medical history, the Veteran reported recurrent back pain on her separation examination. The examiner noted "back pain started with pregnancy-currently limits lifting objects to less than 10 pounds." In March 2016 the Veteran complained of neck pain with radiation down the upper extremities since 2012. She reported then that she twisted her back while lifting something at work. A December 2015 x-ray revealed mild to moderate degenerative changes involving C4/5 to C6/7. An October 2015 right shoulder x-ray showed subacromial spur that can be associated with impingement syndrome. The Veteran asserts that she suffers from current bilateral hip disabilities that are due to lifting, walking, and carrying heavy pots on her side in service. Given the record before it, the Board finds that a VA examination and opinion is warranted to adjudicate the claims. In remanding this case, the Board makes no credibility determination, expressed or implied, at this juncture. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Ask the Veteran to provide the names and addresses of all medical care providers who have treated her claimed conditions, to include any chiropractic treatment providers. After securing any necessary releases, request any relevant records identified. In addition, obtain updated VA treatment records. If any requested records are unavailable, the Veteran should be notified of such. 2. Schedule a VA examination to determine the nature of the Veteran's claimed cervical spine and upper back disabilities and to obtain an opinion as to whether any current back and neck disabilities are possibly related to service. The claims file should be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with the examination. All necessary tests should be conducted and the results reported. Following review of the claims file and examination of the Veteran, the examiner should opine whether it is at least as likely as not that any current cervical spine, and back disability are related to her military service. The examiner should explain why or why not, to include addressing the Veteran's report of back pain on her June 1992 report of medical history and her contention that she injured her back while when she flipped over to crawl on her back and hit herself on a rock. 3. Schedule a VA examination to determine the nature of her claimed right shoulder disability and to obtain an opinion as to whether such is possibly related to service. The claims file should be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with the examination. All necessary tests should be conducted and the results reported. After review of the claims file, the examiner should opine whether it is at least as likely as not that a current right shoulder disability is related to her military service. The examiner should explain why or why not, to include addressing the Veteran's contention that she injured her right shoulder where she flipped over to crawl on her back and hit herself on a rock. 4. Schedule a VA examination to determine the nature of the claimed bilateral hip disabilities and to obtain an opinion as to whether any current hip disability is possibly related to service. The claims file should be reviewed by the examiner in conjunction with the examination. All necessary tests should be conducted and the results reported. After review of the claims file, the examiner should opine whether it is at least as likely as not that a current hip disability is related to her military service. The examiner should explain why or why not, to include addressing the Veteran's contention that her current bilateral hip disabilities are due to lifting, walking, and carrying heavy pots on her side in service. 5. If the claims remain denied, issue a supplemental statement of the case, as appropriate. K. A. BANFIELD Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Asare, Associate Counsel The Board's decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.