Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding it to be related to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee osteoarthritis.

The Board granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and remanded several other claims, including those for a mental health condition, left shoulder disability, costochondritis, reactive airway disease, and hypertension. The claim for lumbosacral strain to include herniated disc was dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for unspecified anxiety disorder and remanded claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and back conditions.

The appeal to reverse or revise the May 2004 and June 2004 rating decisions that denied service connection for a cervical spine disability on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, granted a 20 percent rating for chronic fatigue syndrome and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis, but denied higher ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several service connection claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for vertigo, depression, anxiety, headaches, a neck disability, dermatitis, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, sleep apnea, chronic fatigue, and a back disability.

The Board denied service connection for allergies, ankle strain, migraine, left knee condition, right knee condition, and thoracolumbar spine condition as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected conditions and denied service connection for several additional conditions, granting service connection for headaches.

The Board denied service connection for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, left knee disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, and low back disability as the evidence did not show a current diagnosis or functional limitation that could be considered a disability.

The appeal was dismissed for the issue of service connection for left calf atrophy, while readjudication was granted for a left hip condition. Other issues were remanded.

The Board granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent for spondylolisthesis lumbar fusion with bone graft low back, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from January 1, 2016.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine condition but denied service connection for cystic acne to the back, face and neck, to include acne scars of the face, neck and upper back.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, left leg radiculopathy, bilateral restless leg syndrome, and obstructive and central sleep apnea due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining adequate medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar condition, mononeuropathy of the sciatic nerve, and glaucoma to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities due to the Veteran's failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations, which he has now provided 'good cause' for.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, skin condition (tinea pedis), and lumbar spine disability but denied it for a dental condition.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and denied initial compensable disability ratings for erectile dysfunction, orchitis, unilateral, chronic, anxiety disorder, unspecified, fracture, 5th metacarpal bone, right hand, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected conditions and granted SMC at the statutory housebound rate from July 5, 2023. The decision also remanded several claims related to secondary service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the evaluation of lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine was granted, while other claims were remanded.