Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is granted an evaluation of 70 percent disabling, but no higher. Other claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied or remanded.

The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, but denied increased ratings for degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability but denied a higher rating for generalized anxiety disorder and remanded the claim for service connection for bladder dysfunction as secondary to the low back disability.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD, bipolar disorder, and thoracolumbar strain with arthritis, and assigned initial ratings. The issues of Parkinson's disease, dementia, cervical neck strain, spinal stenosis, TDIU, and special monthly compensation were remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to his active-duty service.

The Board granted an effective date of September 2, 2010, for service connection for radiculopathy of the left and right sciatic nerves but denied increased ratings for these conditions. The claims for increased ratings for knee and back conditions were remanded.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD and remanded several service connection claims, including dyspnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, low back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of November 30, 2023, for the grants of service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve.

The Board granted an effective date of July 17, 2020, for the award of service connection for left and right upper extremity idiopathic peripheral neuropathy and lumbosacral strain.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the claims were not supported by competent medical or lay evidence.

The Board granted an effective date of August 3, 2018, for the grant of service connection for right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy and a 40 percent initial rating from that date.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected conditions.

The appeal was denied a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar myositis with spondylosis, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from November 24, 2008.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from December 22, 2011.

The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence and ensuring substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied ratings in excess of the assigned percentages for the veteran's left knee and back disabilities, but granted a 20 percent rating for left knee limitation of flexion from August 4, 2014 to September 24, 2024, and a 30 percent rating for a back disability from August 16, 2019.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a psychiatric disability and the claim for the back disability is now moot due to grant of treatment purposes only benefits.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and left hip disability, as secondary to the service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the left great toe, finding no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board remands the issues of an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar strain with degenerative arthritis and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease, cervical spine prior to December 10, 2014, due to a failure by the VA examiner to provide a retrospective opinion that complies with the Board's remand instructions.