Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for low back degenerative arthritis, left hip strain disability, right hip strain disability, and left knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's already service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for depression but denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates and increased ratings. The issues of TDIU and increased rating for lumbar myofascial syndrome are remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral spine strain, finding that his current back disability had onset in service and has continued since service. The decision is based on the Veteran's reported fall during a road march while carrying a full ruck sack containing essential items.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability resulted in the functional equivalent of forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less, necessitating further examination and development for lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back, right thigh, left hip, and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations conducted in January 2021.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted on August 4, 2018, the day following his separation from service. The effective date is based on the severity of his service-connected psychiatric and physical disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected left knee, right knee, and lumbar spine disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for clarification regarding flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for his back disability is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A new examination is required to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

Service connection is denied for hyperlipidemia, low back pain, diabetes mellitus, bladder disability, diminishing eyesight (cataracts), right lower extremity neurologic disability (diabetic neuropathy), right shoulder disability, erectile dysfunction, and allergic rhinitis.,The Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations renders him a Persian Gulf War veteran. The PACT Act presumes service connection for qualifying chronic disabilities due to exposure to environmental hazards including fine particulate matter.

The Veteran's postoperative hernia and ilio-inguinal neuropathy have not been rated higher than noncompensable.,Service connection for a back disability has been granted, but the rating remains at noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the claims for clothing allowances due to a lack of evidence in the record, including the Veteran's prosthetics records and AOJ decisions. The claim must be returned to the AOJ with all relevant documents.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee condition, left knee condition, back condition, and generalized anxiety disorder. The conditions are related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a low back disability, including neurological impairments such as radiculopathy, due to inadequate examination and opinion. The case will be reviewed again with an appropriate medical evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a lower back injury, finding that there is no causal relationship between the current disability and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as the combined disability rating exceeded the maximum allowable under the amputation rule. The GERD claim was also denied.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, and his low back disability is also rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine is granted. The issue of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of service connection for depressive disorder from March 2, 2010. The claim for secondary service connection for lumbosacral strain is remanded due to the need for a clarifying VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to service-connected disabilities prior to November 24, 2010.