Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a keratitis condition is denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety, is granted.

The Board denied service connection for kidney stones and remanded the issue of rating an initial disability for a back condition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected knee disabilities.,Left upper extremity neuropathy is granted as it was diagnosed in service and continues to be shown.

Service connection for OSA is denied. An increased rating of 10 percent for GERD with IBS is granted, subject to laws and regulations governing payment of monetary benefits. A compensable rating for left little finger fracture is denied. Prior to May 20, 2014, a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. Since May 20, 2014, a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. An increased rating of 20 percent for neurological manifestations of right lower extremity secondary to lumbar spine disability is granted. A rating in excess of 10 percent for neurological manifestations of left lower extremity secondary to lumbar spine disability is granted, subject to laws and regulations governing payment of monetary benefits.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on his combined service-connected disabilities. The decision also notes that the Veteran likely cannot secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various conditions, including hypertension, varicose veins with PAD resulting from DVT, low back disability, neck disability, CAD with MI, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, deviated left nasal septum, and malocclusion of the anterior maxilla.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance for an automobile or adaptive equipment, as his mobility issues are primarily due to nonservice-connected factors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected lumbar strain with IVDS and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disability, which is presumed to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, lumbosacral spondylosis, and central serous retinopathy of the left eye have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a separate rating for laxity of the left knee has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability has been granted. The issue of secondary service connection for hypothyroidism due to diabetes mellitus is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his back condition, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or event and that the current disability is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and for TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of all evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease L5-S1 from March 27, 2013 was denied.,The Veteran's claims for separate ratings for radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions, including hearing loss, shoulder injuries, back pain, radiculopathy, and PTSD. The Board has remanded these claims for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for low back and right knee disabilities due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent, effective May 19, 2009. A separate rating of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as the evidence does not show that his service-connected disabilities alone prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for lumbar strain and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for an opinion on which symptoms are attributable to the service-connected left foot sprain and whether they can be clearly separated from those of pes valgoplanus and lumbar radiculopathy.