Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and intervertebral disc syndrome based on the Veteran's credible history of back pain during service.

The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for hypertension, service connection for sleep apnea, a skin condition, degenerative disc disease, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, a prostate condition, and a bladder condition to ensure that all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine condition and denied increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right knee osteoarthritis with patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. However, it restored the 20 percent disability rating for lumbosacral strain effective October 31, 2023.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for lower back pain and posttraumatic stress disorder due to procedural errors.

The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and dismissed the appeal for back condition.

The Board remands the claims for a thoracolumbar spine disorder and sleep apnea to correct pre-decisional errors in the evaluation of these claims.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative spinal and disc disease of the lumbar and lumbosacral area, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claims for increased disability evaluations and service connection due to errors in scheduling VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for back, neck, and right knee conditions to correct a pre-decisional error in obtaining adequate VA medical opinions.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for low back disability to ensure that VA has met its duty to assist by obtaining relevant private treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor. The other issues of service connection for left hip, shoulder, knee, and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and migraine disorder to correct duty to assist errors in the prior medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's disabilities had their onset during active service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition, bilateral hip condition, and bilateral foot condition due to incomplete medical opinions that do not address secondary aggravation.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for service connection for right sciatica, a lumbar spine condition, a right foot condition, a right knee condition, and tinnitus.

The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder impingement syndrome, lumbosacral strain, left and right ankle sprains with degenerative arthritis, left and right knee retropatellar pain syndromes with degenerative arthritis, and pseudofolliculitis barbae with acne keloidalis nuchae.

The Board granted service connection for a left knee condition as secondary to the Veteran's right knee condition, but denied service connection for bilateral muscle spasms, lumbosacral strain (claimed as low back condition), mouth ulcers (also claimed as mouth condition), hypertension, right ear hearing loss, and left shoulder condition, to include a dislocated shoulder.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension and denied the claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as for lumbar spine disability, coronary artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a total disability rating for compensation based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board remanded several claims for further development, including service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and headaches secondary to allergic rhinitis, as well as increased ratings for low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, penile scars, and tinea cruris in the groin.