Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining outstanding private treatment records and potentially new medical opinions.

The Board remands the claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU as further VA examinations are required to address the Veteran's reports of flareups and functional limitations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left hip, left shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining a VA opinion to address flare-ups and the effects of medications on the Veteran's lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disorder but denied service connection for left and right knee disorders.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased compensation, service connection, and initial compensable disability ratings for various conditions.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain, service connection for neurologic signs and symptoms (claimed as bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy), to include as due to Gulf War illness and/or secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, and service connection for bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for a colon condition, back condition, and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound criteria to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for a psychiatric condition and in excess of 40 percent for a lower back condition, as it needs to obtain additional private treatment records.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for the right shoulder disability and 40 percent for the lower back disability, effective March 23, 2020, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied all claims for increased ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the criteria for evaluating musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for C-section surgical scar, lumbosacral strain (claimed as low back pain), and herpes simplex Type 1.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and disability rating, dismissing all issues.

The Board grants service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease and kyphosis, finding the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for revision or reversal of a January 2005 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) regarding his claim for service connection for a low back condition.

The veteran withdrew all appeals for the listed conditions, indicating he is now 100 percent permanently and totally disabled effective May 24, 2022.

The claims are remanded to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the relevant decisions on appeal.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and denied service connection, compensable ratings, and higher ratings for various conditions.

The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for a lower back disability to obtain further medical evidence regarding functional ankylosis.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than June 6, 2016, for the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain and remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial rating higher than 20 percent for lumbosacral strain.