Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left foot disability as there was no evidence of a current disability or an in-service injury, event, or disease related to these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and increased the disability rating for the lumbar spine to 20 percent effective August 18, 2023.

The Board denied increased ratings for lumbar spine, right and left knee disabilities but granted reinstatement of a 30 percent rating for bilateral pes planus effective July 1, 2024.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct a predecisional duty to assist error in verifying all periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA during the Veteran's Reserve service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 0 percent for hypertension and a rating in excess of 40 percent for IVDS with degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, but granted a 20 percent evaluation for left lower extremity radiculopathy. The Board also granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability and granted an increased disability rating of 20 percent for left lower extremity radiculopathy prior to February 27, 2024, while denying it from that date onward. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a neck disability was remanded.

The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete evidence, including a need for additional VA examinations.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and a depressive disorder, but denied service connection for left lower extremity restless leg syndrome, right lower extremity restless leg syndrome, bilateral hearing loss, irritable bowel syndrome, and other conditions. The decision also remanded several claims for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for right shoulder strain, right knee strain, lumbosacral strain, and right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to lumbosacral strain to obtain adequate nexus opinions.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability, left elbow disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. The claim for a left shoulder disability was remanded, as were claims for higher ratings and TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, PTSD, a right shoulder disorder, and a back disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a low back condition and a left leg condition as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no medical opinion linking the conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed right shoulder, lumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and right foot disabilities as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the current conditions were not shown to be related to service.

The Board granted service connection for cervical spine, lumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, and tinea cruris disabilities. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were remanded for readjudication based on new evidence.

The Board denied increased disability evaluations for several conditions, dismissed claims for others, and remanded two issues for further development.

The Board granted an effective date of February 5, 2023, for the award of a 20 percent rating for thoracolumbar strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, but denied earlier effective dates for other claims.

The Board remands the service connection claim for a thoracolumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions.

The appeal challenging the propriety of the reduction in the rating for the Veteran's low back disability from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective July 1, 2024, is granted; restoration of a 20 percent rating from the effective date of the reduction is granted.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbosacral strain and related conditions, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.