Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, low back problems, bilateral hearing loss, gout, and plantar fasciitis is dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for a back disorder, bilateral foot disorder, left ankle disorder, left eye disorder, and left hip disorder for further development of evidence.

The Board remands the claim for a lumbosacral spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion and proper notice of the types of evidence that may be used to substantiate a claim.

The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, as it is inextricably intertwined with a direct service connection claim.

The Board granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance, as well as service connection and earlier effective dates for certain conditions, while denying increased ratings and earlier effective dates for others.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for certain disabilities associated with a back disability.

The Veteran was granted service connection for a low back disability with an effective date of January 5, 2021, and initial ratings of 70 percent for PTSD, TDIU, and DEA benefits, all effective from August 9, 2019.

The Board granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine conditions, finding that the Veteran's neck and back injuries were the result of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) occurring in December 2007 while she was traveling directly from funeral honors duty, which is treated as inactive duty training (IDT) for VA compensation purposes.

The Board granted service connection for left knee instability and remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, right foot disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied the remaining claims, including higher ratings for left shoulder strain with labral tear, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, and bilateral foot pain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, bilateral neuropathy, knee condition, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, asthma, hypertension, fatigue condition and an acquired psychological disorder, to obtain additional evidence.

The appeal for an increased rating of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease is remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of lumbosacral strain, right knee strain (flexion and extension), and migraines, with an effective date of May 10, 2022.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a cardiac disability and low back disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine, a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and panic disorder with alcohol use disorder (in remission), and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied service connection for ringing of the ears and/or tinnitus, but remanded claims for a respiratory disability secondary to lumbosacral strain with kyphoscoliosis and special monthly compensation.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a back disability, and a neck disability based on the Veteran's reports of in-service onset and continuous symptoms.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's back disability and service connection for cervical spine and chronic sinusitis disabilities, while denying increased ratings for tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, migraines, and dyspnea on exertion.

The Board denied more than a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity varicose veins, as well as higher initial ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, intervertebral disc syndrome, herniated disc, right and left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and denied service connection for a neck disability.