Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's low back disability and its causes. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining a new opinion from an examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that it is related to her service-connected bladder condition. The decision also considers secondary service connection based on aggravation of a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for stiff person syndrome, lumbar strain, right and left ankle/leg disabilities, and left-sided facial pain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,A new VA examination is required to determine if these conditions were incurred during active service or are otherwise related to in-service events.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened. The Board finds that a remand is warranted to obtain missing STRs and private treatment records, as well as to schedule VA examinations for the left upper and lower extremity radiculopathy and cervical and lumbar disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back condition, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current disability and his active-duty service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service connection claim for a low back disability should be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of his current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity sciatica, and TDIU due to inadequate reasons and bases in the January 2020 VA examiner's opinion regarding service connection. The issues are intertwined as they could significantly impact each other.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment from March 19, 2015, through June 7, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete treatment records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are not adequate for rating purposes and requires a new examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar strain, radiculopathy (right lower extremity), and radiculopathy (left lower extremity).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an upper back condition, right and left upper extremity parasthesia due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 40 percent, but no higher. The appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition, including secondary to his service-connected left knee condition. The evidence did not support a finding that the current low back condition was caused by any incident of service or his service-connected left knee condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability and acquired psychiatric disability due to service, including PTSD and depression. The VA will conduct further examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back and respiratory disabilities due to her failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's left and right elbow disabilities are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and a left shoulder condition, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and her military service.,The medical opinions provided by VA examiners supported the denial, citing lack of chronicity during or after service and alternative causes such as post-service work activities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spinal stenosis with degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression) due to new evidence not having been considered in the first instance.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for lumbar strain with DJD and osteoarthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, a TDIU rating due to a single service-connected disability, and SMC pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disorder and radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been granted initial ratings of 40 percent since specific dates, with some issues having higher or different ratings.