Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2022

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and headaches have been granted service connection.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression) is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or perform substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and dismissed the claim for service connection for dental issues. The Board also remanded the case to obtain VA treatment records related to tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for low back, neck, and bilateral hip disabilities due to incomplete records. The Veteran's service treatment records from Randolph Air Force Base need to be obtained.

The appeal to reconsider the claim of service connection for a dental condition is granted. The appeals for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea are dismissed. The claims for service connection for anxiety, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal disorder, low back disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's back condition, including back pain, is related to her active military service.

The Veteran's initial rating for his back disability is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board found that his current range of motion did not warrant an increased rating, and he was already receiving a 10% rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for DDD of the lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been granted, with a 10 percent rating assigned for each condition effective March 24, 2007.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability and low back disorder, both claimed as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The issues must be addressed again with consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a low back disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 16, 2012. The Board found that the Veteran was employed full-time as an electrician from 2007 to 2013 and did not raise entitlement to an extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's incomplete paralysis of the right femoral nerve is granted at a rating of 20 percent. The thoracolumbar spine disability remains remanded for further development.

The Board has denied service connection for a low back condition, right leg condition, and sciatica of the lower extremities as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to insufficient evidence and for further development, including obtaining additional medical records. The case will be referred to the Director of VA Compensation Service for consideration of whether a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is warranted.

The Board has remanded the claim due to inadequate reasons and bases, specifically addressing the Veteran's lay contentions about his back pain during service.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a TDIU on a schedular basis from November 20, 2020 due to new evidence received after the previous SSOC.

The Board has remanded the claims for a low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to insufficient evidence regarding their severity during the relevant period.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for thoracic spine degenerative disc disease is denied as there is no evidence of unadjudicated formal or informal claims between June 2012 and May 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others denied. The main issue of service connection for his low back disability and radiculopathy remains unresolved, while other claims related to increased ratings or TDIU are addressed.