Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's low back condition and his military service. A new VA examination is needed to provide a more informed opinion on this issue.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates due to inadequate VA examinations, failure to obtain relevant evidence, and inextricably intertwined issues.

Your appeal for a higher rating for your degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine has been dismissed because you and your representative have withdrawn the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and requires an adequate etiological opinion regarding the Veteran's lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, including lumbar spine, cervical spine, bilateral foot, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities. The reasons include needing to clarify the Veteran's service in December 1995 and obtaining missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's onychomycosis was granted service connection as it is related to active service.,The Veteran's rhinitis and hemorrhoids were denied increased ratings as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals for severance of service connection for his right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as remanded the issues regarding his headache disability (secondary to TBI) and back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including shoulder, hip, ankle, and spine issues, are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The issues of cervical strain, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis, right knee strain, left knee strain, right finger joint condition with rheumatoid and stiffness (right finger condition), left finger joint condition with rheumatoid and stiffness (left finger condition), right wrist rheumatoid arthritis (right wrist condition), left wrist rheumatoid arthritis (left wrist condition), left ankle condition, cardiac condition, and skin condition have been remanded for further evaluation.

Service connection was denied for various conditions including bilateral hearing loss, left and right knee disorders, psoriatic arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), torn scapula nerves in both upper extremities, neck disorder, low back disorder, and deviated septum.

The Board has found the evidence inadequate to determine if the Veteran's back and left shoulder disabilities are related to his active-duty service, requiring further examination and consideration of additional medical records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a back disorder and neck disorder for treatment purposes under 38 U.S.C. § 1710 was dismissed as the issues were withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's request for a Higher-Level Review was not received within one year of the May 1990 rating decision denying his claim for service connection for a back condition. As such, the appeal is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and back disability were all denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The appeal for service connection for a back disability has been dismissed as the claim was fully granted in an October 2022 rating decision. The appeals for service connection for lesion of the scalp, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, right elbow disability, and right foot disability are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome, and lumbosacral strain, finding that these conditions are not related to active service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's eligibility for a higher level stipend under VA's PCAFC program is being remanded due to new evidence indicating his disability picture has worsened, affecting his ability to self-sustain in the community.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and back disorders due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw her appeal for a higher rating on her lumbar spine disability, and the Board has dismissed the case as a result.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for back, right knee, and left knee conditions due to errors in obtaining records from Dr. Nelson and inadequacies in the December 2019 VA examination.