Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a migraine disorder and patent foramen ovale (PFO), to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a sleep condition, left shoulder bursitis, left wrist CTS, right wrist CTS, upper back condition, lower back condition, and right shoulder bursitis as there was no evidence of current disability or nexus to military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraine, left hip disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and left knee disorder to obtain addendum VA medical opinions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for low back pain, right leg weakness and lack of coordination, and left leg weakness and lack of coordination.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral knee degenerative arthritis and meniscal tear, cervical spine degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis, and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis based on the Veteran's credible statements and a private medical opinion.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine disability, hip disabilities, restless leg syndrome, hand tremors, deviated septum, hemorrhoids, and bilateral hearing loss, due to a need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted a 10 percent rating, but no more. The claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids, GERD, TMD, and back disability were denied.

The Board remands the claims for increased initial disability evaluations and TDIU due to incomplete records and a need for additional development.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's back disability from October 14, 2014 to January 3, 2015 and denied higher ratings at other times. The Board also granted separate 10 percent ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for a skin disorder, non-linear mid back scar, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The effective date for the grant of service connection was set as October 1, 2019.

The Board denied the appeal for restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, finding that the evidence did not support an increase in the disability rating. The Board also remanded the claim for service connection for a right knee condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for all claims due to untimely filing of the appeal requests.

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for cervical spine, low back, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left knee, and sleep apnea based on new and relevant evidence.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, a lumbar spine disability, and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee osteoarthritis with instability.

The Board denied a rating higher than 40 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and an earlier effective date for the award of a 40 percent rating, but granted an effective date of August 5, 2021, for basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with interverbal disc syndrome and right lower extremity radiculopathy, effective June 1, 2023.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation, a compensable rating for his neck scar, and higher ratings for various service-connected conditions.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including lumbar degenerative disc disease and radiculopathies, as well as tinnitus, due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back pain with muscle spasm and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, while denying earlier effective dates and higher ratings for tinnitus, and remanding claims for right hand third digit laceration, insomnia disorder, and right knee disability.

The appeal for service connection for left shoulder, left hip, left thigh, and left knee conditions and an increased rating for the back condition was dismissed due to a concurrent election of administrative review options.