Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2019

The Veteran's application to reopen his neck disability claim was granted. His lower back disability claim, however, remains denied.,The Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran’s neck disability.

The Veteran's cervical and thoracolumbar spine muscle strains with spasm are rated at 30 percent, the highest available rating under VA regulations. The criteria for higher ratings have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, high cholesterol, right foot hammer toes, and increased ratings for cervical degenerative disc disease and plantar warts are all being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back and eye disabilities have been remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Board found that new evidence has been presented to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability. The burial benefits claim is denied as the application for benefits was received after two years of the Veteran's burial, and the other requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 3.1705 are not met.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, lumbosacral strain, and right hip iliopsoas tendonitis. The effective date of the grant is set to February 19, 2015.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spinal stenosis and left lumbar radiculopathy due to concerns about the validity of the findings from a previous VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee and low back disabilities are being remanded as the VA examiners did not adequately address whether they were caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded to determine if he has a current hearing loss disability, and its likely etiology.,The Veteran's tinnitus is being remanded to determine its likely etiology, including whether it was incurred in service.,The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities are being remanded as the VA examiners did not adequately address his request for treatment during service or any head injury therein.,The Veteran's TBI and migraine headaches are being remanded to determine their likely etiology.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back and hip disabilities. The VA needs to obtain new examinations and medical opinions to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical evidence and for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for an orthopedic examination.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital for a nonservice-connected condition are now covered by VA, with the exception of amounts already paid and covered by his health insurance plan.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, lower extremity radiculopathy, varicocele, laceration of the scalp, right shoulder separation (postoperative), and left shoulder impingement syndrome were denied. The Veteran was granted separate ratings for RLE and LLE radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve, but his claims for higher ratings or effective dates were not supported by evidence.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues, including some that have been withdrawn. The remaining issues are related to service connection for various conditions and rating of disabilities such as right foot fracture residuals, TBI with headaches, low back disability, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, left wrist disability, and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and opinion regarding service connection for various conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a right ankle disability and hearing loss are denied.,Back, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back pain and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability and remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues regarding rating assignment, effective date, and other claims are also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and radiculopathy as due to a back condition, finding that there was no nexus between his current disabilities and military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The claims of service connection for sciatica, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and left eye lattice degeneration are remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings in excess of 10 percent for eczema, right shoulder DJD, and thoracolumbar spine DJD and DDD require additional examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities. The remanded cases include a need for an updated VA examination to assess the extent of the Veteran's eczema, right shoulder disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability.