Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for further development and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support a medical nexus between the Veteran's condition and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and remanded the issue of service connection for a traumatic brain injury.

The appeal is remanded to obtain opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left ankle ganglion cyst, spondylosis of the lumbar spine, knee strain, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis are caused or aggravated by his service-connected chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU, finding that his service-connected lumbar strain did not meet the criteria for higher ratings at any point during the appeal period.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability due to an inadequate VA medical opinion that failed to address the Veteran's lay statements and the presumption of soundness.

The Board denied a disability rating higher than 20 percent for the service-connected back disability prior to June 27, 2018, and also denied entitlement to TDIU prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for a cervical spine disability, left leg disability, low back disability, depression, and left arm numbness and tingling. The Veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the condition and his active duty service.

The Board granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for degenerative disk disease, L4-L5 with herniated disk L5-S1 and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (DJD) effective November 9, 2022.

The Board granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for schizoaffective disorder with vascular dementia mixed associated with lumbar spine stenosis and right knee degenerative arthritis from October 24, 2012.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded several other claims.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and right lower extremity sciatic radicular pain due to inadequate medical examinations and opinions.

The Board denied an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine prior to December 21, 2023, and in excess of 40 percent from December 21, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease as a secondary condition to the Veteran's status-post fracture of the right distal fibula.

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

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, a left ankle disability, a right shoulder disability, a lumbar spine disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a stomach disability (claimed as stomach parasite), to obtain additional medical evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, neck disability, left shoulder disability, and sleep disability as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or event, and the current conditions were not etiologically related to his military service.

The Board granted service connection for anxiety, depression, lumbosacral strain, cervical strain, right knee condition, left knee condition, and headaches based on the Veteran's in-service symptoms and continuous post-service symptoms.