Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that they did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted effective dates of March 22, 2013 for the grant of a 40 percent disability rating for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and lumbar degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the issues of entitlement to service connection remain remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen for GERD, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Left Shoulder Disability, and Low Back Disability. The claims for these conditions are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability. The case will be returned for further development and an addendum opinion from the VA examiner.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's OSA and Lumbar Spine Disorder are related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's GERD and OSA are being remanded for further examination to determine their etiology. His arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, bilateral knees, ankles, and hips is also being remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD, diarrhea, CTS of the right and left upper extremities, and lumbar spine disability need further examination to determine their current status and etiology. The PACT Act is applicable for the diarrhea claim.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on forward flexion greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for PTSD is granted as of March 11, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for DDD of the cervical spine, C5-6 is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further medical development due to outstanding treatment records from Denver MEPS, Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, and TRICARE. Additional examinations of the back and hips are needed to assess the current severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The issues include hypertension, right leg disorder, left leg disorder, left ankle disorder, left hip/groin disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of his knee and foot disorders, as well as to determine if they are related to service. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, status post L5-S1 discectomy. The claims are remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including migraine headaches, right shoulder issues, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, and left knee chondromalacia, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since February 21, 2006. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for osteochondrosis at thoracolumbar spine L4/L5/S1 and spondylarthrosis L4/L5, as well as sciatica. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent reports of symptoms during active duty and continuity of symptomatology since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain and right lower extremity neuritis due to additional VA treatment records being added to the record.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a change in law regarding secondary service connection, and for additional opinions on whether the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability caused or aggravated his obesity and subsequent hip, low back, and knee disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show unfavorable ankylosis of the spine, which is required for a higher rating.