Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating for low back degenerative disc disease from 40% to 20%, finding that the reduction was improper due to lack of improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the appellant's unverified military service records. The AOJ is instructed to verify any service and provide the appellant with an opportunity to submit additional evidence supporting his claim.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for clarification of his earned income from his lawn care business between 2009 and 2014.

The appeal to reopen the claim of service connection for vaginal disability has been withdrawn.,New and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for headaches. Service connection is granted.,Service connection for a sinus condition is denied.,Service connection for PTSD is granted, with the opinion suggesting that the Veteran's current mental health disability may be related to service-connected PTSD.,The relationship between TMJ and PTSD is unclear; further examination is needed to determine if TMJ is secondary to PTSD.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent from August 7, 2009 to June 23, 2017. The Board denied an increased rating for the lumbar spine disability and denied separate ratings for neurological impairment associated with the lumbar spine disability prior to August 21, 2013.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not clear enough and needs more information. They need to get his Social Security Administration records, which may help them understand why he received disability benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on issues of service connection for PTSD, lower back disability, and right knee disability. The TDIU claim is also part of the initial rating claim for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for a more current VA examination of his back disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the service connection for an upper back disorder and a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of a lumbar spine disability and service connection for bilateral leg conditions and sleep disorders.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's back conditions and their relationship to her in-service fall. The VA examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current back conditions are related to her documented fall during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability and thoracolumbar spine disability have been reopened, and the claim for thoracolumbar spine disability is granted. The claim for right knee disability is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for left hip strain and lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left hip and low back disabilities, as secondary to a left ankle disability due to ongoing medical history. The VA will obtain a new opinion on whether these conditions are related to the service-connected left ankle disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination reports and further evaluation is needed.

The Veteran's right wrist osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and COPD are all granted as service connected.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is also granted as secondary to his service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate retrospective medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disability prior to December 27, 2016. The case is now returned for further consideration.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with IVDS is rated at 60 percent, effective since July 5, 2016. His bowel incontinence and urinary incontinence are not entitled to increased ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy, and right shoulder disabilities. The TDIU claim is remanded as it impacts the overall combined rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cardiac disability, pulmonary disability, and lumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions and missing evidence.,Specifically, the Board found that there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure during active duty service. The Veteran was exposed to commercial herbicides at Fort Gordon, Georgia.