Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability for a new VA examination and opinion.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to her in-service back pain and treatment.

The Board restored the 20% rating for both cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, effective October 1, 2022, as the reduction was improper. The Board also denied entitlement to a higher rating for these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder with anxious distress and denied the claims for visual impairment, migraine headaches, a back disability, and a bilateral foot disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings and earlier effective dates, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, lower back disability, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as there was no credible evidence of an in-service event, injury, or disease.

The Board granted an effective date of October 16, 2017 for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied a higher initial rating for thoracolumbar spine disability. The claim for right lower extremity neurological disability was remanded.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and dismissed the appeal seeking a higher rating for a low-back condition. The claim for service connection for GERD was remanded.

The claims for service connection for right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities are remanded for additional evidence to be considered.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral flatfeet and denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, radiculopathy of both upper extremities, and an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including left hip, knee, TMJ, and shoulder conditions due to a lack of evidence supporting their relation to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, migraines, uterine fibroids, and lumbosacral strain, rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 27, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder due to deficiencies in the VA examination reports.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities to obtain addendum opinions that address the Veteran's reported post-service treatment.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the establishment of service connection for sleep apnea and denied a higher initial rating for sleep apnea. The lumbar spine disability claim was remanded for further development.

The Board remanded the claims for additional development as the previous opinions were not entirely adequate to decide the claims.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder, cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis, scar on the Veteran's head, TBI and residuals, and memory loss associated with the TBI.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral foot, leg, hip, and low back disorders due to inadequate previous examinations.