Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood and somatic symptom disorder, with predominant pain, during the period on appeal from April 26, 2019, to May 29, 2019, but denied higher ratings for other periods. A 40 percent rating was granted for lumbar spondylosis during a specific period.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left side sciatica was granted, and several issues were remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board reinstated the 40% rating for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine effective January 1, 2021. The application to readjudicate service connection for a right hip disability was denied.

The Board granted service connection for left wrist condition, cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, and left hand condition, as well as a compensable rating of 20 percent for hemorrhoids.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, cervical spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease, and left-hand carpal tunnel syndrome. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied, as well as the claim for a higher rating.

The Board granted service connection for dry eyes and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disability, lumbar spine disability, left leg radiculopathy, and right leg radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability and a lumbar spine disability as there is no evidence of a current disability separate from nerve-related conditions, and the Veteran's in-service back complaint is not related to his current back pain.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating for degenerative disc disease with low back strain to ensure a more thorough examination is conducted.

The Board granted service connection for right knee, left ankle, and lumbar spine disabilities but denied an increased evaluation greater than 10 percent for the left knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU, finding insufficient evidence to support a reasonable possibility of unemployability due to his only service-connected disability, tinnitus.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a back condition for a new VA medical opinion.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed, and appeals for earlier effective dates for cervical disc disease, lumbar degenerative disc disease, arthritis in both hands, and right ankle sprain were denied.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease, spinal fusion, and spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine to obtain additional evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine and IVDS, but granted an earlier effective date of February 1, 2023 for left lower extremity radiculopathy, sciatic nerve.

The Board remands the claim for a left elbow disability and denies increased ratings for back, left knee strain, and left knee strain with subluxation disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to address the Veteran's low back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as the previous examination was found inadequate.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted an initial compensable rating for right foot hallux valgus and remanded the claims for service connection for a back, right shoulder, left shoulder, and right knee disability.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and a left knee condition, but denied service connection for hearing loss, vertigo, right ankle, right knee, and right wrist conditions. The claims for lumbar spine and allergic rhinitis were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability rating for tinnitus, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an earlier effective date for tinnitus, and service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left knee condition, and right knee condition.