Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for CFS, fibromyalgia, and a GI disorder were dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus was granted, but the appeal for low back disorder was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disorder and low back disorder due to additional development being necessary. The claims are currently before the Board for adjudication.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee, left knee, and back disabilities are granted. The Veteran's service connection claims for sleep apnea, bilateral shoulder disabilities, respiratory disability, right ankle disability, neck disability, bilateral hip disabilities, and pelvis disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions and the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability and heart disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, IBS, lumbosacral strain, right wrist sprain, deep vein thrombosis with residual pain, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and pulmonary vascular disease were all denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of these conditions and concluded that the evidence did not support service connection for any of them.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, headaches, sinusitis, low back disability, skeletal arthritis, shoulder disabilities, and a respiratory disorder are denied.,There is no evidence linking these conditions to military service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right knee, left foot, left elbow, and left knee disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran was also denied service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was remanded for further evaluation, and his chronic diarrhea claims were also remanded. The rating for lumbosacral strain remains at 10 percent, effective November 12, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back, right knee, left knee, and ankle disabilities. The appeal is dismissed for the dental disorder.,For the remaining issues, the Board found that there was at least a 50% likelihood that the Veteran's current disabilities were incurred in or caused by his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for low back, left hip, cervical spine, and right shoulder disabilities due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The RO is required to obtain updated VA treatment records from April 2017 to present, all medical records located in VA's VISTA imaging system, and any private treatment records relevant to the claims.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused the current disabilities. The claim was also denied for an initial rating on the left ankle sprain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability has been reopened, but the issue of determining whether his current back disability is related to his active-duty service remains pending. The Board has decided that further examination and consideration are needed before a final decision can be made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for various lower back and knee disabilities due to incomplete records and a need for clarification regarding his employment status prior to January 28, 2020.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for right knee numbness, left knee numbness, calcium deposits in both knees, low back condition, and neck condition are not resolved due to insufficient evidence. These matters have been returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's claim to restore the disability rating for lumbar myalgias secondary to spinal block was dismissed as it has been fully granted in a prior decision.,The Veteran's claim of an initial compensable disability rating for a left knee scar was withdrawn and dismissed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to the evidence showing a current disability and in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for neck pain/pinch, low back pain, left shoulder condition, and left knee condition are denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 40 percent rating for his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative changes is granted. The issue of entitlement to a higher than 40 percent rating remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, but no higher, prior to December 21, 2022. From December 21, 2022, the rating remains at 40 percent for his right lower extremity radiculopathy and 40 percent for his left lower extremity radiculopathy. The Veteran's urinary incontinence is rated at 10 percent from March 14, 2022.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and back disabilities due to new evidence submitted. However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for further evaluation.