Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities, including PTSD, right hand/wrist disability, lumbar spine condition, left knee disability, right knee disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The Board has also determined that verification of the Veteran's in-service stressors is needed.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service connected lumbar spine disability, but the records of potential VA treatment have not been obtained and a VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, left hip, and left leg conditions are granted as secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis. A 20% rating is assigned for each condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen her claims for service connection for low back and left hip disabilities. The cases are remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding service connection for a back disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and incomplete medical records, requiring further evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active military service and arthritis was not present within one year of separation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various disabilities due to the possibility of relevant SSA records not being included in the claims file.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his back disability is being remanded due to the need for updated medical records and a more contemporaneous VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability does not warrant a higher rating prior to January 3, 2010. The case is being remanded for further examination and evaluation of his current level of disability.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities had their onset in service.

The Board denied service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine with demyelinating sensory polyneuropathy as it is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected left ankle disability.,The Board denied service connection for COPD, concluding that there is no evidence showing its onset during service and finding that it is more likely related to tobacco abuse rather than an in-service injury.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is rated at 40% since April 19, 2018. The Board has remanded issues related to service connection for residuals of a whiplash injury and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 and 20 percent for his lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence regarding functional loss during flare-ups, repeated use over time, and the relationship between muscle spasms and gait.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective October 3, 2006. The decision grants an increased rating for his service-connected DJD at the L5-S1 junction with chronic lumbar back pain.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examinations and a need for further development regarding the Veteran's lumbar disc disease with annular bulging.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue regarding an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The Veteran's vertigo disability is granted with a 30 percent rating. The remaining issues, including low back and left knee disabilities, migraines, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss, are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck and back disabilities, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back disability, neck disability, and radiculopathy as they are related to a right shoulder injury sustained during service. The Veteran's current disabilities may be considered secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability.