Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been denied.,An effective date of February 14, 2020 is granted for the awards of service connection and increased rating.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service records are incomplete and remands for further efforts to obtain these records. The issues of service connection remain on appeal.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and his back disability and right shoulder disability are each rated at 20 percent. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of a left shoulder and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is granted. Claims for lumbar spine disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as she was able to complete some educational courses in social work.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for back disability manifested by pain, finding that new evidence submitted after a previous denial supports this claim. The decision is based on credible lay evidence and the reasonable doubt created by the evidence must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the condition originated during active service.

The Veteran's eczematous dermatitis is rated at 60 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The low back disability remains at a non-compensable rating.

Your previously reduced rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, L4-L5 has been restored to a 40 percent effective March 29, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for common headaches and lumbosacral strain are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ must obtain new VA examinations and provide the Veteran with an addendum opinion regarding his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's multilevel lumbar DJD is rated at 40 percent effective January 14, 2021. Separate ratings are granted for right and left leg femoral neuritis.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided for the Veteran's cervical spine, left shoulder, left knee, and lower back disabilities were inadequate due to a lack of information on where pain begins during motion. The Board therefore orders remand for further examination.

The appeal of the increased disability rating for PTSD has been dismissed due to the appellant's withdrawal. The claims for compensable ratings and service connection have been remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various foot, ankle, hip, and knee disorders as well as nerve damage due to a lack of current diagnoses.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions regarding his cervical spine degenerative arthritis, as the initial opinion did not address whether it was related to his service-connected lumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran's lumbar strain has resulted in greater than 60 degrees of forward flexion and a combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine of greater than 120 degrees. She does not have ankylosis or functional fixation of the spine, muscle spasm, guarding severe enough to result in abnormal gait or spinal contour, intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), or radiculopathy. Therefore, a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar strain is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for fibromyalgia, low back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral foot disabilities.