Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back condition and hypertension to obtain additional evidence.

The Board restored the 60% rating for degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the lumbar spine, status post fusion, with stenosis and spondylolisthesis. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies were denied.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis of the cervical spine, migraines, and tinnitus secondary to PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including left and right leg, arm, knee, shoulder, kidney, plantar fasciitis, and back conditions, as further development is needed to address pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, secondary to the appellant's service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD and granted an effective date of May 31, 2004, but no earlier, for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to the Veteran's asthma with sinusitis, but denied service connection for a low back sprain and plantar fasciitis. The claim for a neck condition was dismissed.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain, effective March 7, 2024, as there was no sustained material improvement under ordinary conditions of life.

The Board granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left elbow sprain, right elbow enthesophyte, left knee strain and enthesophyte, right knee strain, and right leg radiculopathy but denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, cervical and thoracic spine disability, left upper extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine condition, erectile dysfunction, and special monthly compensation based on loss of use to allow the AOJ to correct duty-to-assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, right knee disability, right shoulder disability, and tinnitus to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The appeal for service connection for degenerative joint disease, lumbar spine was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU, DEA benefits, and a finding of TDIU based solely on generalized anxiety disorder.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied, except for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability which were granted. The veteran was also granted service connection for hypertension.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy of the left arm, back disability, left elbow condition, left shoulder condition, left wrist condition, left hand condition, hypertension, and an initial rating of 10 percent for coronary arteriosclerosis prior to September 24, 2024.

The Board denied service connection for hemorrhoids, scars, low back disability, left ankle disability, left and right shoulder disabilities, and left and right hip disabilities as the evidence did not show that the Veteran had these conditions or related symptoms during the appeal period.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, assigned a 20% rating for right knee strain with limitation of flexion, denied a compensable rating for right knee strain with limitation of extension, and granted a separate 20% rating for right knee instability. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, and GERD were remanded.

The Board granted a disability rating of 40 percent for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, but denied an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for the lumbar spine condition.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and migraine headaches, but remanded the claims for a low back disability and related radiculopathies.

The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.