Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for nephrolithiasis has been reopened and granted.,A 100 percent rating for PTSD is assigned, effective May 30, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability is not etiologically related to his active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for an opinion on a 1997 back injury during service and the Veteran's continuous back pain since service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and esophageal conditions are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left lower extremity disorder is not related to her military service and is not secondary to her service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is unrelated to an injury or disease during service. As a result, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence. The Board will consider the new examination results in determining whether service connection is warranted for her claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate VA examinations and further development is required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis (claimed as rheumatism) is denied. The Board finds that there is no competent evidence of current rheumatism/rheumatoid arthritis during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and providing new opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current low back disability, neck disability, hand/finger disabilities, knee disabilities, foot disabilities, and hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current myofascial lumbosacral syndrome is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection. The prostate disability issue was remanded due to a misfiled document in the service treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder, including arthritis and degenerative disc disease, is related to his period of service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, status post laminectomy with fusion, is rated at 50 percent effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his cervical and thoracolumbar spine, left ankle arthritis with pain on motion, hypertension, and posttraumatic headaches were denied. The effective dates for the 20 percent ratings assigned to these conditions have been confirmed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder and a lumbar spine disorder were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his service, including appendicitis, peritonitis, or surgery for coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that there are several deficiencies in the record and thus remands this case for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches have been rated at 50 percent since August 17, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise with respect to whether the Veteran has experienced very frequent and prolonged migraine headaches that have been completely prostrating and likely productive of severe economic inadaptability throughout the entire appellate period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current joint disorder, and any other claimed conditions are not shown to be related to active service or service-connected disabilities. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.