Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease with mechanical low back pain and left ear hearing loss disability, but denied service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed it.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations. The appeal will be remanded to allow these steps.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development, including scheduling a video-conference hearing before the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of his headaches, dizziness, and low back disability. The claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for post-surgical scars on the lumbar spine was denied. The cervical spine disability and major depression claims were not granted.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude a return to substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a Board hearing.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's urinary incontinence and a VA examination. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The case is being remanded for additional development to obtain missing records, provide a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease, and determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder and diabetes mellitus are related to his active duty service, but he was not exposed to herbicides during this period.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and adjudication due to issues related to service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and neurological disorders of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings were denied. The Board found that hypertension was not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service and did not manifest within one year of service discharge. GERD was not manifested by persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal or arm or shoulder pain, to any level of severity. For the entire appeal period (with the exception of a period of a temporary total rating as per 38 C.F.R. § 4.30), the Veteran's lumbar spine disability was manifested by functional impairment consisting of subjective complaints of pain and limitation of motion, without limitation of the thoracolumbar spine to less than 60 degrees or limitation of the combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine less than 120 degrees. The assignment of an initial 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy as of June 21, 2011, but no earlier, and an initial noncompensable rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy as of March 27, 2012, were proper. The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for right shoulder arthritis were denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder was not incurred during or related to his military service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not related to her military service and thus, denied her claim for service connection. The issue of separate award of service connection for diabetes-related vision problems was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, psychotic disorder NOS, and bipolar disorder NOS, had their onset during military service and are otherwise etiologically related to his military service. After applying the benefit of doubt, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and providing an examination to determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine disorders are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to procedural issues with the increased rating claim and for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee and back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board videoconference hearing on both his increased rating claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals to reopen claims of service connection for right knee and back disabilities, and the Board has dismissed these matters. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's headaches.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine and degenerative change at C5-C6 do not warrant a higher initial disability rating.