Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disorders, including a lumbar spine disorder, left elbow disorder, and others, to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for RLE and LLE radiculopathy service connection awards, finding that the AOJ failed to reconsider these claims under 38 C.F.R. § 3.156(c) after receipt of relevant official service department records. The Board remanded for a VA medical opinion to determine whether the radiculopathy onset occurred prior to September 15, 1999.

The Board granted a 40 percent initial rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, but denied a temporary total disability rating subsequent to spinal cord stimulator implantation.

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 100 percent for ulcerative colitis and denied increased ratings for lumbar paraspinal tendonitis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The appeal of the proposed reduction of the disability evaluation for low back degenerative arthritis from 40 percent to 10 percent was dismissed because it was a notice of a future determination and not an adjudicative determination.

The Board denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain and granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) beginning April 1, 2013.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's back disability had its onset during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraines was granted, effective July 1, 2022. The claims for service connection for various conditions were either denied or remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his active service and has continued since.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and granted an effective date of May 10, 2021, but no earlier, for a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar degenerative disc disease, left and right knee strain with tendinitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The TDIU claim was dismissed.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding a positive nexus to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied increased ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder with substance abuse and a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine condition and a low back condition, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board granted service connection for dextroconvex curvature and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as well as bilateral foot/toe pain secondary to service-connected gout. However, it denied higher initial ratings for left and right knee gout.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including right knee, left knee, low back, neck, and right hip disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The claims were denied due to the lack of evidence suggesting current disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal requests for all rating decisions due to untimeliness and lack of good cause.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions, except for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an effective date of August 4, 2013.

The Board granted service connection for a left hip condition, lower back condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and right hip condition based on new and relevant evidence. The Board also granted service connection for left hip pain with left lower extremity radiculopathy and right hip pain with right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the service-connected lower back condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with sacroiliitis and degenerative arthritis of the neck, but granted a 20 percent rating for paralysis of the bilateral upper radicular groups beginning November 10, 2022.