Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for low testosterone, an initial rating more than 20 percent for painful left shoulder scars, and service connection for left calf tear, neck disability, middle back disability, and right quadricep tear.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's back pain started in service after he was knocked out of a landing helicopter onto his back and has persisted since then.

The Board granted service connection for lower back pain with lumbosacral strain and traction alopecia, but denied service connection for left achilles heel and toe fungus. The Board also denied a compensable rating for headaches.

The Board granted service connection for residual scarring left shoulder, denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and anxiety and depression, and remanded the claims for lumbosacral strain, right knee strain, contact dermatitis, and unspecified abdominal pain.

The Board remands the matter for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's back condition, including whether it is related to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back condition, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to inadequate VA examinations that did not consider the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board granted an effective date of August 21, 2019, for the assignment of a 100 percent rating for PTSD with depressive disorder and granted service connection for headaches and vertigo as secondary to the service-connected PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, finding a nexus between the Veteran's in-service incurrence of low back pain and his current chronic back pain.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the initial 20 percent and subsequent 40 percent ratings for service-connected multilevel degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, as well as for service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathies.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, including obtaining missing service treatment and personnel records from 1982.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of April 28, 2021, for the award of service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity diabetic neuropathies.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine the impacts of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to care for himself and his need for aid and attendance.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, lower back disorder (claimed as 'lower back with sciatica'), left leg pain (claimed as an artery rupture), and a bilateral ankle disorder due to insufficient evidence of record.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings, TDIU, and a temporary total convalescence rating due to surgery. The Board dismissed these issues.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to service connection for a skin disability (claimed as tinea pedis) and a lumbar spine disability, as the Veteran's reports about in-service injuries and symptoms raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims.

The Board denied service connection for depression and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses, while remanding the claim for a back disability for further development.

The appeal was withdrawn by the Veteran, and all claims for service connection were dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, but granted service connection for a left knee disability. The Board also denied increased ratings for GERD and lumbosacral strain.