Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his service-connected bilateral navicular tuberosities. The VA will obtain addendum opinions as requested.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left hip and lumbar spine disabilities are service-connected. However, the right ankle disability requires further development as there is insufficient evidence to determine its etiology.

The Board has denied service connection for low back, left knee, lupus, fibromyalgia, and bilateral hearing loss conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to military service.

The Board has determined that new evidence received since the last final decision supports reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection, but finds no link between his current back disability and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination used in the initial rating decision. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to assess his current lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability. However, the evidence does not establish that the current condition is related to service or an in-service injury.

The Veteran's initial rating for his low back disability prior to May 27, 2022 was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. For the period since May 27, 2022, the claim remains in appellate status and is being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as his lumbar spine disability with traumatic arthritis and disc space narrowing, must be remanded due to a lack of recent VA examinations. The cases are being returned for further evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's muscle injury to the calf muscles is granted as secondary to his service-connected left tibia disability. The initial rating for PTSD is granted at 70 percent, effective November 19, 2007.

The Board denied service connection for a lower back condition, finding that the evidence did not show a link between the current disability and an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of IBS, right-hand disability, skin condition, or low back disability and therefore denied her claims for service connection.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for clothing allowances for his back brace, right knee brace, and left knee brace for the calendar year 2013 due to the damage these braces cause to his clothing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, TDIU, and SMC related to his back condition are being remanded due to the need for a new examination to assess the current severity of his back condition and associated radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been reopened, and the Board has found new and material evidence to support reopening. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, back disability, radiculopathy of the lower legs, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's left shoulder, back, migraine and tension headaches, cervical strain, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted service connection.,Further evaluations are needed for the Veteran's claimed bilateral arm disability other than carpal tunnel syndrome (including arthritis) and bilateral hip disability (including arthritis), as well as an initial rating higher than 20 percent for right shoulder A/C separation.

The Board has remanded the issues of increased ratings for low back disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, service connection for left hand and shoulder disabilities, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for a low back disability and for TDIU due to insufficient evidence in the record. The VA is required to obtain additional records, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination, and provide a retrospective opinion regarding his functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been withdrawn, and the appeals are dismissed.