Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches with an initial rating of 50 percent effective from August 10, 2022, and denied the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disability, low back disability, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including service connection for stomach pain.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral lower radiculopathy (sciatic and femoral nerve) secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back condition, as well as a 20 percent rating for his lumbar spine myofascial sprain.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to properly evaluate the current severity of her disabilities.

The Board granted an effective date of May 1, 2019, for a 100 percent evaluation for PTSD and granted earlier effective dates for the grant of eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance and special monthly compensation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and TIA due to a need for additional medical evidence.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and lumbar radicopathy, right side, secondary to the lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board granted earlier effective dates of November 5, 2021, for the grants of service connection and eligibility for DEA benefits.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy but remanded the back disability claim for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating greater than 10 percent for thoracolumbar strain, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, hearing loss, painful scar, patellofemoral pain syndromes of the knees, and other conditions.

The Board denied readjudication of the previously denied claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine due to a lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.