Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for a retrospective opinion to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected back disorder without the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD with unspecified anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorder, but denied service connection for neck disability, back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, sinusitis, and IBS.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right ankle disability due to inadequate VA examinations and missing evidence.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine, right leg, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of new and relevant evidence. Sarcoidosis and sarcoidosis arthritis were also denied as there was no medical evidence linking them to the Veteran's service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities and basic eligibility of Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits as of April 12, 2016.

The Board granted service connection for a low back condition and denied initial compensable ratings for migraine, maxillary sinusitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint and disc disease in the thoracolumbar spine, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The remaining claims were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and right shoulder disability, finding that new evidence supported the claims.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with scoliosis and right hip strain, but remanded the claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition and entitlement to TDIU due to the Veteran missing scheduled examinations.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability from September 23, 2015 to March 1, 2017.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board granted a temporary total evaluation for the service-connected lumbar spine disability requiring convalescence from July 20, 2018, to August 31, 2018. The Board also granted initial ratings of 20 percent for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities involving the sciatic nerve until certain dates, denied higher ratings, and granted a 50 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability starting September 1, 2018.

The Board remands the matters for proper notification and scheduling of VA examinations to determine the current severity of the service-connected lumbar strain and the etiology of the Veteran's thyroid disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine herniated disc and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, not including PTSD, due to a lack of credible evidence linking the Veteran's diagnosed conditions to his active service. The claim for a low back disability was remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve and an initial rating of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, while denying service connection for right foot pain. Other claims were remanded.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the intermediate rate between the (m) and (n) rates based on his service-connected conditions.

The Board remands the claim for a retrospective medical opinion addressing functional loss of the lumbar spine prior to October 2020.