Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied a rating more than 40 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and granted an effective date of April 12, 2022, for service connection for radiculopathy left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) and right lower extremity (sciatic nerve).

The Board remands the case to obtain another VA examination that includes passive range of motion findings for a more accurate assessment of the severity of the service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve, with effective dates of June 8, 2015 and November 19, 2018 respectively. The Board also granted a rating of 40 percent for IVDS with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine as of March 24, 2022.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection and higher initial evaluations for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, actinic keratoses, plantar fasciitis, basal cell carcinoma, and various musculoskeletal issues.

The Board granted service connection for right and left knee disabilities, while remanding the claims for low back, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy/sciatica, erectile dysfunction, and insomnia disabilities.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disorder to obtain a new VA medical opinion that adequately considers the Veteran's statements and evidence of record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain based on the evidence showing that the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board granted an initial 70 percent evaluation for the service-connected psychiatric disability and a TDIU, but denied other claims related to earlier effective dates and burial expenses.

The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic lumbosacral strain and service connection for right leg condition was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election of review options.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for a lumbar spine disability to schedule a VA examination due to an incomplete duty to assist, specifically the lack of a medical opinion linking the current condition to service.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include anxiety disorder, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea. The low back condition claim was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and remanded the claims for other conditions due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain and generalized headaches, but denied an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.

The Board remands the claims for further development and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board remands the appeal for a new VA examination to address deficiencies in the previous examinations and ensure all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board granted ratings of 30 percent or higher for the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine osteoarthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome, right shoulder strain, left elbow olecranon bursitis, right elbow olecranon bursitis, and headaches. Service connection was also granted for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) under the PACT Act.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and right knee strain due to an inadequate medical nexus opinion.

The Board granted service connection for urinary dysfunction with frequency and nocturia as secondary to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with CPAP, and an evaluation of 20 percent was granted for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity associated with lumbosacral strain from April 9, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbosacral spine and assigned a 70 percent rating from November 15, 2022, for depressive disorder.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but remanded the claims for hypertension, prostate disorder, heart disorder, psychiatric disorder, diabetes, stomach disorder, and low back disorder.