Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed back disability was not incurred during active service and is not etiologically related to military service. The claim for service connection for a back disability is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected disability for any of his claimed conditions, including back disability, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, bilateral leg cramps, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for spondylosis and wedge deformities of the thoracolumbar spine with facet arthrosis is being remanded due to a lack of updated medical treatment records and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, TMJ, and other conditions are being considered. The Board has found the evidence to be in equipoise on whether these disorders were incurred during service.,Service connection is granted for a lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and migraines.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a recurrent lumbar spine disorder, basic eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adaptive housing and basic eligibility for assistance in acquiring a special home adaptation grant to the RO for additional action.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a new VA spine examination. The case will also be referred for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has reopened the claims for peripheral neuropathy and skin disorder, but denied service connection for these conditions.,Service connection was not granted for a low back disorder due to lack of evidence showing it is related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is considered secondary to his left knee injury residuals, while the psychiatric disability is linked to his current anxiety disorder and depressive disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's current thoracolumbar spine disability is not causally related to, or aggravated by, an event, injury, or disease in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease and low back disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition prior to November 18, 2011, or an extraschedular rating throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a December 2009 orthopedic examination, which did not address the extent of his limitation of lumbar motion during flare-ups or indicate the degree of additional impairment caused by pain following repetitive motion. The case will be returned for further development and readjudication.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, TDIU claim, and other issues due to additional evidence obtained. The case is now pending further development.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was rated at 20 percent prior to June 17, 2014, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted. As of June 17, 2014, the Veteran's condition warrants an increased rating to 40 percent.

The Board has ordered additional development of the Veteran's service treatment records from Beale Air Force Base to determine if they contain information relevant to his claims for left knee and low back disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for the reduction of evaluations for various service-connected conditions has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a videoconference hearing. The claims related to cervical spine, flat feet, bilateral knee disorder, stomach pain, right leg length discrepancy, bowel disorder, and Eustachian tube dysfunction are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no credible evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity have been granted initial ratings, with a December 10, 2007 effective date for the cervical spine disability.