Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a more thorough medical examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's lower back disability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain and remanded the claim for a higher rating.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 for various conditions.

The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for bilateral pes planus from July 5, 2019, but denied an increased rating prior to that date. The lumbar spine claim was remanded.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for a back condition.

The Board granted service connection for left and right foot disabilities, left and right knee arthritis, and thoracolumbar spine with spondylosis, but denied lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a lumbar spine disability based on the Veteran's credible statements regarding in-service onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board granted an effective date of October 29, 2021 for the award of service connection and increased ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks. The claim for sleep apnea was denied.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for stage 3 chronic kidney disease and remanded the claims for increased ratings for back disability, right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy.

The Board granted a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for gastrectomy residuals and 10 percent for gastrectomy scars, but denied higher ratings for hypertension, tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and service connection for an enlarged prostate, GERD, cervical spine pain, and right wrist pain.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability and right knee disability as the VA opinion did not adequately consider the evidence, particularly the Veteran's reports of strenuous activity during service.

The Board remands the claims for further development and a new examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar stenosis with spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for revision of the November 2011 rating decision based on CUE, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the original decision.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's low back condition, left little finger disability, and bilateral hearing loss, as well as a TDIU claim.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine arthritis and degenerative disc disease, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions as there has not been substantial compliance with its previous directives.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's low back and left ankle disabilities, granted a 20% rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy from April 14, 2023, to October 11, 2023, and granted an earlier effective date of January 14, 2016, for the grant of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbar spine disability to correct a duty to assist error, specifically to address lay statements regarding the onset of low back pain.

The Board denied service connection for pancreatic nodule, lung nodules and asthma, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and cervical spine disorder as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the disabilities were related to military service.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating and TDIU to obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's cervical spine condition, including whether radiculopathy of the bilateral upper extremity is present.