Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral spondylosis with lumbar strain to obtain a retrospective opinion on flare-ups and further examination.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to January 18, 2017, due to inextricably intertwined issues regarding service connection for various disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition and remanded the remaining issues for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, foot disability (bilateral plantar fasciitis), and back disability (claimed as pain of lumbar spine, to include as secondary to bilateral plantar fasciitis) due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.

The Board granted a 40 percent initial disability rating for lumbar disability, denied an increased rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy and earlier effective date for right lower extremity radiculopathy, and denied an increased rating for left foot disorder.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral pes planus, and lumbosacral strain due to procedural defects in the appeal process.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, chronic migraines, left knee disability, low back disability, right knee disability, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied. The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was also denied. The Board remanded the claim for service connection for a sinus condition (claimed as sinusitis with nose bleeds).

The Board denied an increased rating for tinnitus and dismissed the appeals related to the proposed reductions in ratings for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, right shoulder bicipital tendonitis and rotator cuff tendonitis, and cervical spine.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left foot disability, and determined that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for back, left knee, or right knee disabilities.

The claim for service connection for a back disability was readjudicated based on new and relevant evidence, but the issue is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with IVDS was granted a 40 percent disability rating, and service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathies associated with the condition was also granted.

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

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for hypertension and CAD, granted a 10 percent evaluation for hypertension, and remanded several other claims.

The veteran was granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to a service-connected disability (TDIU) from April 28, 2017, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) as well as special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria were established from the same date.

The veteran's appeal request was denied as it was not timely filed, and no good cause was shown to extend the filing period.

The Board granted service connection for dyshidrotic eczema of the hands and denied service connection for chronic headaches, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, left hip strain with various limitations, left knee joint osteoarthritis, pain of lumbar spine, and other specified trauma-and stressor-related disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal seeking readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for low back strain with herniated disk, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to a claims processing error. The appeals for service connection for bilateral shoulder disability and back disability were denied, while the appeal for sleep disorder was remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) as she did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).

The Board granted a 20 percent rating from July 21, 2021, for the Veteran's spine disability and remanded the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent.