Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied increased disability ratings for the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, chronic left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, surgical scar of the lumbar spine, and tinnitus.

The appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the claims processing.

The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation at the (l) and (o) rates from August 12, 2013, based on his service-connected upper extremity rheumatoid arthritis. The back scar claim was also granted an effective date of August 12, 2013.

The appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability is dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for atopic dermatitis, Peyronie's disease, and lumbar strain, while denying service connection for chloracne, amnesia, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension was granted a 10 percent rating.

The appeal is remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction for additional development, specifically to determine whether VA medical care or lack thereof resulted in additional disability concerning the Veteran's lower back.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, including degenerative arthritis and lumbar spine spondylolisthesis/spondylosis, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current condition was incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the right hand scar from January 31, 2019, and denied other claims.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for a back disability, right shoulder, and GERD due to untimely Notice of Disagreement.

The appeal for service connection for lumbago, claimed as lower back disability, is dismissed because the December 2021 notice of disagreement does not apply to a valid target under the modernized review system.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the arms, feet, and legs; hearing loss; thoracolumbar spine disability; sleep apnea; and PTSD. However, a 10 percent rating was granted for prostatitis with BPH prior to September 19, 2020.

The Board dismissed the claims for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis, denied an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, and remanded the claims for initial evaluations in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL) is granted, while other claims for service connection are withdrawn or remanded.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for low back injury and left eye injury due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as there was no evidence of a current disability. The claims for back, left wrist, right wrist, and shoulder disabilities were remanded for further development.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings, granted a 20 percent rating for left femoral nerve neuralgia, and granted a 50 percent rating prior to October 7, 2022, for adjustment disorder with depressed mood, insomnia disorder and somatic symptom disorder.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis, a right hip disability, and a left hip disability. The 10 percent ratings for the left and right wrist disabilities were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and lumbar spondylosis and spinal stenosis. However, it granted service connection for migraines due to herbicide exposure prior to August 10, 2022, and an earlier effective date for kidney cancer.

The Board remands the claim for a retrospective examination to address the nature and severity of the Veteran's localized low back disability, excluding radiculopathy into the lower extremities.

The veteran and his representative requested the withdrawal of the appeal, and the Board has dismissed all issues.