Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board has decided that the Veteran's headaches are service-connected. The issues of service connection for left knee, low back, and left shoulder disabilities have been remanded.

The Veteran's initial and increased rating claims for a back disability have been denied. The current rating of 20% is not sufficient to reflect the severity of his condition as of October 22, 2019.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, to include degenerative changes and strain, is denied as not service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation.,The Veteran's left hip disability is remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted service connection. The left elbow and foot disabilities are denied, with the exception of a remand for further examination to determine if they are related to service or secondary to his service-connected right knee disability. The low back disability is also remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's back disorder. The Veteran contends that his current back condition is related to service, but the VA clinician found it less likely than not caused by or related to his military service. The decision also notes the need for additional records and a new medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and right lower extremity radiculopathy conditions have worsened since their last VA examinations, and therefore remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to a lack of VA examinations. The issues include lumbar spine disorder, bilateral knee disorders, bilateral foot disorders, gastrointestinal disorder, skin disorder, and gynecological disorder.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right shoulder disability have been granted increased ratings, but the rating for his right shoulder is only granted prior to September 13, 2022. The Veteran's sleep apnea remains under review.,Service connection has not yet been established for the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal for a right ankle disability was withdrawn.,Service connection is granted for chronic low back pain and tinnitus, but the claim for GERD remains pending as additional records are needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tension headaches, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and spinal stenosis, and unspecified cervical spine issues due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded for further action on the hearing loss issue.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including hypertension, bilateral eye disability, headaches, psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, low back disability, knee and hip disabilities, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hearing loss, have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a claim of in-service injury or disease resulting in current disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee scar, right knee disorder, and lumbar spine disorder due to new evidence being added to the file.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and low back disabilities due to inadequate VA examination opinions. New examinations are required to determine if these conditions are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that additional examinations are necessary for the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, hypertension, left knee disorder, and bilateral hearing loss claims due to incomplete or inadequate previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to issues with obtaining relevant federal records and additional medical opinions. The appeals are not about presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals, and the Board dismissed all issues due to lack of allegations of error in the determinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues with scheduling VA examinations and lack of medical opinions. The cases are now pending further review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower and upper back disabilities, finding that there is no credible evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and in-service events or diseases.