Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2008

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, lumbosacral strain, and GERD. The effective dates for these grants are being deferred due to the inextricability of the issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and S1 joint osteoarthritis with range of motion limitation and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that a higher evaluation was not warranted.

The Board finds that the veteran's residuals, low back injury are attributable to his period of service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran's osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine was not incurred in or related to his military service, and thus denied the claim.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and did not grant an earlier effective date for the cervical spine disability.

The veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent, and his impairment of the right sciatic nerve is also rated at 20 percent. The left knee disability does not warrant a separate rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for depression and arthritis, all joints have been withdrawn. The claim for service connection for a chronic back disorder was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or continuity of symptomatology since separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, exudative pharyngitis, low back disability, urinary disability, psychiatric disability, sinus condition, and joint disability. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board has granted a 40 percent evaluation for the veteran's low back pain with degenerative joint disease and disc disease effective August 20, 2003. The effective date of this rating decision is not earlier than August 20, 2003.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current low back disorder that was incurred in service. The claim for an initial disability rating greater than 20 percent for hypertension is denied as there is no evidence of diastolic blood pressure of predominantly 120 or more.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his current low back disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and back disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a back disorder, bilateral knee disorders, tinnitus, respiratory issues, erectile dysfunction, and PTSD. The reasons were that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the available records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, and residuals of a concussion. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of compensable right knee disability or service connection for low back condition, asthma, migraine, or razor bumps.

The Board has determined that the veteran's back condition, diagnosed as herniated nucleus pulposus and degenerative disc disease of the L5-S1 vertebrae, is service-connected. The condition is considered to be a direct result of his military service activities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right knee disability and service connection for a low back disability, finding that his current lumbosacral strain was not incurred in or caused by active service. The Board also found that his service-connected right knee disability did not cause or aggravate his claimed low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination to evaluate the veteran's claimed back and knee disorders. The claims will be reconsidered in light of this additional evidence.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected low back disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and updated medical records.

The Board denied service connection for both a kidney disorder and a back disorder, finding that the conditions existed prior to service and were not aggravated by military service.