Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions as they were premature, and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and a migraine headache disability.

The Board denied service connection for alcohol use disorder, a disorder manifested by binge eating, and residuals of tuberculosis. However, an initial disability rating of 70 percent was granted for unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder with depressive disorder.

The Board denied initial ratings in excess of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, and in excess of 20 percent for a lumbosacral strain (back disability) and cervical strain (neck disability), as well as separate ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy. A rating of 30 percent was granted for the neck disability starting from May 22, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including IBS, somatic symptom disorder, lumbar degenerative disc disease, and various radiculopathies and strains, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to readjudicate the claim of service connection for back disability as new and relevant evidence was not received.

The Board granted service connection for multiple shoulder, knee, and hip disabilities as well as increased ratings for cervical spine DDD, upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain, and tension headaches.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded a claim for service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right wrist, left shoulder, left foot, and lumbar spine disorders based on their onset during active duty.

The Board granted annual clothing allowances for right and left knee braces and a back brace, but denied allowances for capsaicin cream and Voltaren topical medications.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a left shoulder strain s/p rotator cuff tear, while remanding claims for service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, aortic aneurysm, and right wrist conditions.

The Board granted service connection for cervical and lumbar conditions, chronic migraines, and MDD. The claims for hives, lung scarring, elbow and ankle conditions as secondary to Valley Fever were readjudicated based on new evidence.

The Board granted service connection for asthma from August 10, 2022, based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to burn pit smoke during his deployment in Kuwait and Afghanistan.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and a bilateral hearing loss disability, while denying increased ratings for several conditions including GERD, right wrist CTS, left wrist CTS, right knee strain, left knee strain, right shin splint with MTSS, and left shin splint with MTSS. The Board also granted separate ratings of 30 percent, 20 percent, 40 percent, and 10 percent for neurological impairment of the right median nerve associated with CTS, lumbar degenerative arthritis with spondylosis, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, respectively.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disorder and related conditions due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's duty status in May 2006 and the etiology of his claimed back disorder.

The veteran was granted a rating of at least 10 percent for left ankle scars and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD with gastritis, as well as service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar degenerative joint disease, remanded the claims for an initial compensable rating for GERD and service connection for asthma.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and a bilateral foot disability, while denying service connection for PTSD, any other 'stress disorder', and remanding the claims for a left calf disability and back disability.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, while the other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board granted ratings of 30 percent for the left and right knee disabilities, 40 percent for the right shoulder disability, and 30 percent for the left shoulder, back, migraine headache, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) disabilities as of February 22, 2022.