Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

Service connection is denied for a low back disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.,Service connection is granted for arthritis of the cervical spine. Service connection is denied for cervical strain.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and major depressive disorder with anxious distress are remanded due to incomplete records, including entrance and separation examinations. The VA will obtain these records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbar strain, finding that the Veteran's conditions had their onset during his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee and thoracolumbar spine DJD with DDD were denied. For the right knee, a rating in excess of 10 percent was denied. Prior to April 3, 2017, an initial rating of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine DJD with DDD was granted. From April 3, 2017 to April 23, 2019, a higher evaluation than 20 percent was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar disability and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain private treatment records, and the Veteran is asked to provide information about his private healthcare providers.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, skin cancer, testicular cancer, erectile dysfunction (ED), back disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient VA examination reports. The Veteran asserts that his current disabilities are causally related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp LeJeune during service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for lumbar strain prior to February 23, 2022 and from that date was denied. The Board found the evidence did not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5237.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to a lack of medical evidence addressing the severity of the Veteran's cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his headaches, sinus condition, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and back disability. The heart disability claim remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain his Social Security Administration (SSA) records, which may contain relevant information for his service connection claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions and awarded effective dates of July 31, 2014. The decision is based on newly associated STRs that were not previously considered.

The Veteran withdrew her claims for increased evaluations on multiple knee and shoulder conditions, resulting in the dismissal of these appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates due to missing documents and procedural issues. The claims are related and must be readjudicated together.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and obstructive sleep apnea due to inadequate examinations and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran is also asked to provide any missing VA treatment records, including those from the Wyoming CBOC.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases in the prior November 2020 decision, specifically regarding the September 2020 VA examination not addressing additional loss of range of motion during flare-ups as required by Sharp v. Shinseki.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and IVDS with central annular tear was granted a 40 percent rating from June 6, 2014 through February 21, 2022. The right knee disabilities were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for low back pain, bilateral hip condition (secondary to knee osteoarthritis), and melanoma cancer. The Veteran's conditions are related to her active military service.

The Veteran's headaches are found to be secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current low back and shoulder disabilities are related to his service.