Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and medical opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities, as well as clarification of the evidence submitted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and conflicting statements from the Veteran's brother regarding chiropractic treatment. The examiner is asked to address the nature of any back disabilities present during the appeal period, their etiology, and whether they are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, left leg radiculopathy, right leg radiculopathy, and left foot condition. Service connection was granted for post-traumatic head injury (to include neurocognitive disorder) and anxiety.,Service connection for chest pains was not established.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis disability rendered him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment effective December 16, 2015.

The Board denied service connection for joint pain, GERD and hiatal hernia, and sleeping disorder due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions began during active service or were related to in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, stomach ulcers (also claimed as abnormal z-line), low back condition (claimed as spinal cord injury), acid reflux, sleep apnea, depression (also claimed as insomnia), atrial fibrillation (also claimed as aortic aneurysm), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (also claimed as insomnia, anxiety, nightmares).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD with anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance) were denied. The Board found that the effective dates could not be earlier than April 17, 2017.

The Veteran's lumbar strain and associated radiculopathies have been granted increased ratings, with effective dates ranging from February 3, 2012 to July 20, 2021. TDIU was also granted for specific periods.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected lumbar spine disorder was denied as the evidence did not show that her disability met or approximated the criteria for a rating greater than 20 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, bilateral knee disability, and lumbar spine disability have been granted.,A separate claim for a TDIU is remanded.

The Veteran's melanoma scar and lumbosacral sprain/strain disability are being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his low back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The Veteran's back, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities are being reviewed again.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, which is arthritis, is related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not related to his service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability was rated at 10 percent prior to August 28, 2020 and at 20 percent thereafter. The Board found that the criteria for higher ratings were not met.,At no point during the appeal period did the Veteran meet the criteria for a rating higher than 20 percent for his thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were denied increased ratings.,Effective March 28, 2016, separate ratings for RLE and LLE radiculopathy affecting the femoral nerves were granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate prior VA examinations. The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are being evaluated again with new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to January 13, 2011.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis and back disability have been rated at the maximum available under VA regulations, with no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions warranting higher ratings.,For her lower extremity radiculopathy, a separate rating is granted from January 31, 2014 to June 13, 2016; however, a higher rating is denied after that period.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective February 3, 2010. The rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve is increased to 20 percent from September 7, 2018. The rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve is rated at 20 percent effective March 6, 2013.