Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the claimed condition, including its potential relationship to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied increased ratings for cervical strain, lumbar spine osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, and degenerative joint disease of both knees. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for a cervical spine disability was granted, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The appeal for service connection for lumbar spine arthritis as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder osteoarthritis due to an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence, while remanding the claims for low back, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities for further development.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, right hip extension, and right hip strain, effective March 25, 2021.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis) and an increased rating of 20 percent for left foot sprain, while remanding the claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbar strain and service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied higher ratings for depressive disorder and earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, to include degenerative disc disease with cervical spondylosis and degenerative retrolisthesis, as the April 2022 VA opinion is inadequate.

The Board denied an initial rating of over 10 percent for a back disability, and ratings of over 10 percent for right knee degenerative arthritis with bursitis and left knee degenerative joint disease.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, lumbosacral strain, and non-compensable ratings for restless leg syndrome and allergic rhinitis.

The Board granted service connection for muscle spasms of the upper back, low back, right chest, hamstrings, and quadratus femoris based on a finding that these conditions are related to in-service injuries.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine, and ankle disabilities based on their relationship to the Veteran's active service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a headache disorder, back disability, left lower extremity neurological disorder, and right lower extremity neurological disorder to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied service connection for multiple musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's active military service.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with intravertebral disc syndrome, left and right knee disabilities as secondary to a back disability, migraines as secondary to allergic rhinitis, and asthma. The initial rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis was denied.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder with panic attacks and depressive features, dismissed the appeals for Raynaud's disease and a psychiatric disability to include PTSD other than unspecified anxiety disorder with panic attacks and depressive features, and remanded the claim for a recurrent lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a lower back condition, finding that no new and material evidence was received within one year of the November 2017 rating decision.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, status post laminectomy for disc herniation from January 14, 2020 (except for a period when a temporary 100 percent rating was in effect).

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus was granted, while the appeals for a low back condition, tooth condition, and varicose veins were denied.