Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back and right leg disabilities, finding that these conditions began during his military service and are related to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent for the period prior to December 11, 2013. A higher rating is denied for the period from December 11, 2013, to October 27, 2014.

The Board has denied service connection for left knee and low back disabilities, finding no evidence of a nexus to service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and granted a 30% rating for IBS. The appeal for an increased PTSD rating is remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for right elbow tendonitis, left elbow tendonitis, and right foot Morton’s Neuroma. The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and cervical spine disorder, as these issues require additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee, right elbow, low back, and chest disabilities have not been adequately evaluated based on recent medical evidence. The claims are being remanded to schedule the Veteran for additional VA examinations to assess the current severity of his conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to service. The Veteran testified about her pain in service and post-service, but additional medical examination is needed to determine if a diagnosed condition exists and its relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded as there is insufficient evidence or further examination needed to determine the current severity of his conditions, their etiology, and whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine and thoracic spine disorders (claimed as back conditions) have been denied.,Service connection for a left foot disorder has also been denied, with the Board finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event related to the current condition.,Service connection for a left calf disorder was also denied.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding higher disability evaluations for his service connected TBI and left knee disabilities, as well as his claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and headaches.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient discussion on extraschedular evaluation and incomplete treatment records. The Veteran's neck disability may require an extraschedular rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are secondary to his service-connected shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is also being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, particularly regarding the Veteran's service-connected low back disability. The issues include increased ratings and TDIU prior to July 8, 2011.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as related to in-service noise exposure. The chronic sleep impairment is granted as secondary to the service-connected mood disorder. The low back and right leg disorders are remanded for further examination, while the left leg disorder remains remanded due to its interdependence with other issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for back, neck, left leg drop, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for mild degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, left knee pain, right knee pain, and depression. The Veteran's back condition is not considered to have originated during service due to lack of objective findings. His knee conditions are also not considered to be related to service. Depression is attributed to multiple life events post-service.

The Veteran is not entitled to an increased disability rating for his low back disability prior to May 5, 2014 and in excess of 40 percent from that date.,The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable disability rating for erectile dysfunction.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, lumbar spine condition, and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection. The Veteran's myocardial bridge is being examined to determine if it pre-existed his service or was aggravated by herbicide exposure.