Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and his benign prostatic hypertrophy/prostatitis is rated at 60 percent. The Board denied an increased rating for both conditions.

Your appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a travel board hearing at your local VA office. The Veteran has requested this hearing and must be notified of the date, time, and location.

The Veteran's right hip and lumbar spine disabilities were granted service connection in error, effective July 31, 2000. The appeal for earlier effective dates is denied.,The Veteran's right hip and lumbar spine disabilities were granted service connection in error, effective July 31, 2000. The appeals for initial evaluations are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine if the appellant's neurological manifestations are related to her service-connected low back disability. The issue of separate evaluations for neurological manifestations of lumbar degenerative joint disease remains on appeal.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for the appellant's spine disability and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for numbness from T7 to T10 dermatome.

The Veteran's low back disability, which included degenerative changes and a history of discectomy, was rated at 20 percent effective October 7, 2007.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and a back disorder, finding new and material evidence. The case is remanded for further development including VA examinations to determine etiology.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disability, as his current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is related to his active military service and granted service connection for this condition. The Board also found that the left hip, bilateral knee, and right foot disorders are not related to military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a violation of its prior remand instructions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling error for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of higher initial disability ratings for cervical and lumbar spine conditions, as well as endometriosis with dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, are now pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is related to his service-connected left knee disability and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for PTSD was also granted, as it is not established by credible supporting evidence.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of the initial rating decision. The claim for headaches was granted with an increased rating to 50 percent as of May 28, 2009.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and gastrointestinal disorder on the grounds that there was no evidence of chronicity within one year post-service, and the current conditions are not related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, cardiovascular disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hip disability was not incurred in service and is not related to her service-connected chronic lumbar strain. The initial rating for chronic lumbar strain prior to March 28, 2006, and from March 28, 2006 onwards, has also been denied.

The Veteran's low back disorder is not related to service or any incident therein. The claims for left knee, right knee, tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorder, and right foot/heel disorders are also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, and the reduction in evaluation from 40 to 20 percent was upheld. The Board found insufficient evidence to address the issues of an earlier effective date or a higher rating prior to January 22, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected DJD of the lumbar spine and diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction were denied. The Veteran was not granted any additional ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was received on May 2, 2002. The Board found no earlier effective date as the earliest communication related to this issue is dated May 2, 2002.