Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain and related conditions was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the filing.

The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including diabetes, erectile dysfunction, bilateral shoulder disability, hemorrhoids, and knee and ankle disabilities, was dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD was granted, while other claims were remanded for further evidence.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, a back condition, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral plantar fasciitis as the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine (back) disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and a compensable initial evaluation for a right ear hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for a left ankle disability, left knee disability, GERD, and erectile dysfunction were remanded.

The Board restored the 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability effective April 12, 2024 and denied a higher rating. The left and right hip service connection claims were remanded.

The Board granted a 10-percent rating for the Veteran's plantar wart right foot and service connection for tinnitus, while remanding several other claims for further development.

The character of the appellant's discharge from active military service is not a bar to the receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, and service connection was granted for bilateral pes planus and bilateral tinnitus. However, service connection was denied for acquired psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), heel spurs condition, right knee, left knee, lower lumbar back, hypertension, hemorrhoids, and sleep apnea.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to a failure to provide VA examinations after rescheduling attempts.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbar strain, status post surgery with IVDS and a 30 percent rating for migraine headaches. The claims for non-compensable ratings for three surgical scars, s/p lumbar spine surgery, and 10 percent rating for painful surgical scar, posterior trunk, s/p lumbar surgery were denied. Additionally, the Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board granted an effective date of June 14, 1964 for the award of service connection for a low back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, tinnitus, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Hepatitis C, a thoracolumbar spine disability, and a left knee disability, as the evidence did not support a finding of a current diagnosis or a link to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar strain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his in-service treatment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not show that she was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD, denied a higher rating for the lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, and granted separate ratings of 10 percent each for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy. A TDIU was also granted.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder pain/rotator cuff and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance regarding their etiological relation to active duty.

The Board granted service connection for persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, a heart murmur, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for left knee, right knee, left ankle, and low back conditions as secondary to a service-connected disability due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and remanded the claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's cervical spine, lumbar spine, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities but granted a 10 percent rating for a painful scar of the mid back and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.