Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate VA opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his neck and back disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted with a 10 percent rating. The issues of an increased rating for degenerative arthritis and hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for a stomach disability, a headache disability, and an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran's right shoulder, left knee, and lumbar spine disabilities are still under review.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease with stenosis and bilateral sciatica due to a lack of contemporaneous service treatment records, requiring a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, including during flare-ups. The issues are related to the Veteran's complaints of symptoms such as numbness, tingling, weakness in arms/hands and legs, bladder frequency, and functional loss due to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. His bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right shoulder osteoarthritis with strain, and back disability are all found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been withdrawn and are dismissed.,Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic asthmatic bronchitis has not been met.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to March 9, 2017 has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted service connection based on aggravation. The lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities are granted increased ratings from November 22, 2011 to December 13, 2021.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of clarity in the September 2016 VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is related to service. The examiner needs to provide an addendum opinion addressing the significance of the 1994 X-ray findings and the June 2012 medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his lumbar disability, finding that the evidence did not support such a higher evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeals of service connection claims due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied clothing allowance claims for lidocaine ointment and left knee braces, but granted one for a right knee brace due to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's right knee brace was used to treat his service-connected chondromalacia patella.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a low back condition, an acquired psychiatric disability, and a skin disability have been granted. The claim for tinea is remanded due to the lack of relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and GERD on the basis of direct service connection. The low back disability is found to have had its onset during active service, while GERD was aggravated by diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of itchy eyes was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. Service connection for chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis is granted due to in-service exposure within the presumptive period.,Issues related to low back disorder, right knee disorder, prostate disorder (BHP), obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, finding no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's in-service injury and his current condition. The examiner concluded that the percussion grenade did not cause the degenerative disc disease.