Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, a back disability (bilateral hip and bilateral shoulder), but denied or remanded the other claims.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for persistent depressive disorder, granted service connection for a back disability, and denied service connection for a cervical spine disability. The decision also remanded claims for sleep apnea and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board granted service connection for chronic headaches, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, left knee strain (chronic left knee pain), and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right patellofemoral syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right knee, varicose veins, and lumbosacral strain as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to active duty.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease (CAD), and impotency/erectile dysfunction, all from March 14, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, and remanded several other issues including ratings for ankle strains, lumbar spine, lower extremity radiculopathy, knee disabilities, chronic headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The veteran's claim for service connection for cervical intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative disc disease, degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis status post arthrodesis was granted, and the veteran was awarded a TDIU effective January 11, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and a right hand/wrist disorder, but denied service connection for a bilateral foot disability, back disorder, sciatic pain in the right leg, sciatic pain in the left leg, and sinusitis.

The Board granted an initial 10 percent disability rating for the Veteran's back disability, to include degenerative disc disease, but denied a compensable disability rating for right shoulder tendinopathy and dismissed the claim for entitlement to a 10 percent evaluation based upon multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including lumbosacral strain and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with DDD.

The Board denied service connection for left and right foot disorders, as well as an initial rating higher than 20 percent for the low back disability.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, including bronchial asthma, respiratory insufficiency, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and functional abdominal pain syndrome. However, it granted service connection for right knee tendinitis, left knee tendinitis, and lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted an effective date of July 30, 2022 for the award of a 50 percent rating for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder (psychiatric disorder) but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture, left knee degenerative arthritis, and degenerative spondylosis of the lumbar spine.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and dismissed the appeal for service connection for a right ankle condition.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and denied increased ratings for various disabilities, including left upper extremity radiculopathy, right knee tendinopathy, left knee tendinopathy, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder, and plantar fasciitis in both feet.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 16, 2002, for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve and femoral nerve but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, but remanded a claim for service connection for a low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder strain and tension headaches, denied service connection for sinusitis, and granted initial ratings of 70 percent, but no higher, for depressive disorder, 40 percent, but no higher, for lumbosacral strain, and 20 percent, but no higher, for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted restoration of the 50% rating for migraine headaches and the 20% rating for low back disability, effective April 1, 2023. The claim for an extraschedular rating in excess of 50% for migraines was denied, but TDIU and DEA benefits were granted from August 29, 2019.