Citation Nr: 21070523 Decision Date: 11/24/21 Archive Date: 11/24/21 DOCKET NO. 18-26 420 DATE: November 24, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded. Entitlement to service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served honorably in the United States Air Force from April 1990 to May 2000. The matters come before the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board) from an August 2016 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regional office (RO). The Veteran was afforded a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) in November 2021. 1. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, to include as secondary to service-connected bilateral knees and/or lumbosacral strain, is remanded. The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, both on a direct and secondary basis. At the November 2021 hearing before the Board, the Veteran testified that he could not recall when the pain in his feet started; however, he recalled it hurting most of his time in service. He stated he did not seek treatment in service because he thought the pain was normal wear and tear from being on his feet often and wearing boots. The Veteran further testified that his current treating providers had related his plantar fasciitis to his service, and that he had also discussed with them whether the condition was related to his service-connected bilateral knees and lumbosacral strain. In the Veteran's October 2016 Notice of Disagreement (NOD), he contended his bilateral plantar fasciitis was noted in his service treatment records (STRs) "under clinical evaluation (item 36)." However, a review of the STRs shows that is a reference to the May 1989 service entrance examination report where the Veteran was noted (under item 36) to have pes planus. At the November 2021 hearing, the Veteran conceded that a diagnosis of pes planus had been noted on his service entrance examination report, but he also testified that his feet never hurt prior to service and started hurting in service. The Veteran has submitted a medical opinion in support of his claim; however, the October 2015 letter from T.E.H., DC, is based on history reported by the Veteran and does not address the pertinent service connection elements in this case. Specifically, T.E.H., DC stated, "It appears that based on [the Veteran's] history his initial foot injury while serving this country were likely the causative factor for his secondary knee pain and very well lead to or contributed to his lower back pain." The questions involved in this case, however, are whether the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knees and lumbosacral strain have caused or aggravated his current plantar fasciitis. As for the direct service connection aspect of this claim, at the November 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran testified he had never discussed with his current treating providers that he was noted to have pes planus at the time of his entrance into service because he had forgotten about that. VA's duty to assist includes providing a medical examination when is necessary to make a decision on a claim. Here, the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) did not provide the Veteran with an examination for plantar fasciitis. However, in this case, the Veteran has essentially contended that although he was noted to have pes planus at the time of his entrance into service, any pain in his feet began in service and the condition has been present since service. He also contends that his current plantar fasciitis is related to his service-connected knee and/or back conditions. Accordingly, a remand for VA examination is warranted. Entitlement to service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is remanded. The Veteran contends he has a PFB condition which is related to service. He states he was put on a PFB profile in service, and therefore was allowed to maintain a beard, and that he had never had this problem prior to service. See March 2018 VA Form 9. At the November 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran similarly testified that the PFB condition started in basic training, as that is when he first started shaving. He had at least four visits to sick call for PFB, where they showed him how to treat it and gave him cream. He stated he currently wore a beard and did not shave too often because otherwise he would still have the problem. After service, the Veteran indicated he had not sought treatment because he learned to not shave that close to his skin anymore and wore a beard. However, he stated that if he were to shave entirely the skin problem would return, which was why he continued to wear a beard. A review of the Veteran's STRs shows that the Veteran did seek treatment for PFB in service. The Veteran has not yet been provided a VA examination in this matter. However, the Veteran has essentially contended that the condition began in service and has been present since service. Accordingly, remand for VA examinations is warranted. The matters are REMANDED for the following actions: 1. Undertake appropriate development to obtain any outstanding medical records pertaining to treatment or evaluation of the Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis or PFB. 2. Afford the Veteran an appropriate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his plantar fasciitis condition. The electronic claims file must be made available to and be reviewed by the examiner. All necessary tests should be completed. An explanation for all opinions expressed must be provided. The examiner is asked to provide a response to the following: (a) Identify all relevant diagnoses for the Veteran's bilateral feet, to include whether he has pes planus and/or plantar fasciitis. If pes planus and/or plantar fasciitis is not diagnosed, the examiner must reconcile that finding with the diagnoses previously noted in the Veteran's STRs and postservice treatment records. (b) If plantar fasciitis is diagnosed, is the disability at least as likely as not related to service, including from normal wear and tear/wearing boots in service. (c) If plantar fasciitis is diagnosed, is the disability at least as likely as not proximately due to the service-connected bilateral knee and/or back conditions. (d) If plantar fasciitis is diagnosed, is the disability at least as likely as not aggravated, i.e., worsened beyond its natural progression, by the service-connected bilateral knee and/or back conditions. (e) If pes planus is diagnosed, did the disability which existed prior to service, at least as likely as not increase in severity during service? (f) If it is determined that the pes planus which existed prior to service, at least as likely as not increased in severity during service, was the increase in severity clearly and unmistakably (undebatable) due to the natural progress of the disease? 3. Afford the Veteran an appropriate VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his PFB. The electronic claims file must be made available to and be reviewed by the examiner. All necessary tests should be completed. An explanation for all opinions expressed must be provided. The examiner should opine as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran presently has PFB that is etiologically related to his service. A. ISHIZAWAR Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans' Appeals Attorney for the Board Stuedemann, Angela L. 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.