Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2020

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and lumbar spine disorder due to insufficient medical opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for further evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine strain, hip disability, knee disability, and depression. The claims for service connection are also referred to the RO.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of memory lapse is dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues regarding service connection for lumbar spine and acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, updated VA treatment records, and SSA disability records.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for full body skin rash. The claims for service connection for hypertension and lumbar spine disabilities have been reopened due to new evidence submitted since the September 2005 rating decision. However, the claim for residuals of gall bladder removal remains denied as there is no material evidence supporting a secondary service connection theory.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure of the AOJ to decide whether the Veteran's right knee disability is secondary to his service-connected meralgia paresthetica. The AOJ must also obtain a new medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation, and then adjudicate the claim for service connection for a right knee disability.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine is found to be related to service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn.,Service connection is granted for allergic rhinitis, with the condition believed to have onset during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is granted, as are her bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy. The claim for a higher rating for myofascial pain syndrome is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for cervical and thoracic/lumbar spine disabilities, finding no link to service despite current diagnoses. The evidence did not establish chronicity or continuity of symptoms post-service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability and sleep apnea due to incomplete records, particularly his 2005 separation examination. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding records and attempt to connect the current conditions to service.

The Veteran's back disorder and left arm/elbow disorder are granted service connection, while his sleep apnea claim is denied.

The Veteran's back disability, including degenerative disc disease, chronic thoracic strain and scoliosis, was granted a rating of 20 percent for the period prior to May 22, 2019. A separate rating of 20 percent was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's residuals of foreign body in the left foot were also granted a 20 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the need for additional development and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and low back disorder due to inadequate examinations. The decision on these issues is pending.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that it is proximately due to his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar disability, left knee condition, and right knee condition were denied. The Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for each of his left and right knee conditions.