Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and left hip disorders are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's low back disability has been rated at 40 percent since September 16, 2016, based on the severity of his symptoms and functional impairment.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability to include a depressive disorder is service connected as secondary to his service-connected low back disability. His right lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy associated with the low back disability has also been granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA spine examination and updated treatment records. The issues of increased rating for low back disability and TDIU are intertwined.

The Board has determined that the VA examination reports are inadequate and remands for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further consideration, including a new VA examination and development of evidence. The Veteran's service-connected paraspinous muscle strain in the lumbar spine region and recurrent left shoulder dislocation are at issue.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for chronic low back strain. The Veteran's current chronic low back strain may be related to her period of active military service, but a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of her condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and cervical spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee strain, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and migraine headaches are related to his military service.,Service connection is granted for left knee strain, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and migraine headaches.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate for making a decision on the issue of service connection for low back disability. The Veteran's current low back disability may be etiologically related to an in-service motor vehicle accident, but further development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a dental disability, hypertension, headache syndrome, L5-S1 degenerative disc disease, cervical degenerative spondylosis, and a rash. The decision found that none of these conditions were related to service or could be presumed due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and knee conditions are not service-connected. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current cervical spine disability and denied his claim for service connection. The claims for lumbar spine and bilateral hip disabilities are pending.

The Veteran's request for self-employment assistance through VA's Vocational Rehabilitation program was denied because his chosen vocational goal of owning a cabaret-style bar/restaurant is not considered suitable given his service-connected disabilities and lack of financial resources.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar and cervical spine conditions are not related to his service-connected right knee and left ankle disabilities, and therefore, denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, knee, lumbar spine, ankle, hip, and shoulder disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection in any of these cases.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, effective March 24, 2016. The rating is based on severe limitation of motion with intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back strain and hypertension, as well as his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The appeals are now pending before the Board.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability in service and concluded that arthritis did not manifest within one year post-service. The Veteran's current condition is presumed to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board found that an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for low back disability is not warranted, as the Veteran did not file a timely appeal and new evidence submitted in April 2006 was duplicates of previously considered records.