Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as the evidence of record does not support a finding that any of these disabilities are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board remands the appeal for further development, including obtaining any outstanding service personnel records related to a line of duty investigation.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, low back pain, right Achilles tendonitis, and left Achilles tendonitis as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active duty.

The Board granted service connection for left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment at Guyon's canal and a lumbosacral strain, finding that both conditions were incurred during the Veteran's period of active service.

The appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus was denied, while the claims for increased ratings for spondylolisthesis lower back with degenerative disc disease and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were remanded.

The Veteran was granted SMC based on aid and attendance, but denied SMC based on housebound status. The Veteran's specially adapted housing claim was also granted, while his claims for a special home adaptation grant and an allowance for an automobile or other conveyance were denied.

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and the need for an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for degenerative arthritis and herniated disc of the thoracolumbar spine from September 4, 2013, and also granted a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from that date.

The Board dismissed both issues of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral or cervical strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine due to untimely filing.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine, left and right shoulder disabilities, hypertension, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, cervical strain (claimed as neck strain), lumbosacral strain (claimed as lower back strain), left shoulder strain (claimed as painful joints), and right shoulder strain (claimed as painful joints) to obtain an adequate medical opinion.

The Board granted restoration of a 100% rating for PTSD and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate, effective October 1, 2021, while denying increased ratings for knee contusions and back strain.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD disability alone precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU. The increased rating claim for the PTSD with major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder is dismissed as moot due to the grant of TDIU. SMC was granted from June 1, 2023, based on an aggregated 70 percent additional disability rating.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disorder and tinnitus, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was remanded.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for chronic low back pain to obtain a medical examination and opinion, as necessary legal determinations regarding the nature of the Veteran's pre-service condition cannot be made based on the current evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, spondylolysis, and spondylolisthesis, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disorder to obtain an addendum opinion regarding its nature and etiology, including all theories of service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial, compensable rating for specific phobia with anxiety and service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a disability rating higher than 40 percent for his service-connected low back disability, as there was no evidence of actual or functional unfavorable ankylosis during the period on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches, degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome (lumbar spine), and cervical spine hyperextension trauma. However, it granted a 20 percent rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy.