Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lower back condition, and a left hip condition. The right hip and bilateral knee conditions were remanded for further development.

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

The appeal for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for the appellant's service-connected conditions was withdrawn, and no disability ratings were assigned.

The Board granted service connection for a lower back condition, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, sleep apnea, cervical spine (neck) disability, lumbar spine (back) disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and erectile dysfunction. The appeal was dismissed for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder due to the grant of an unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as service connection for rhinitis, higher ratings for lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, and a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including neck, low back, hand, shoulder, knee, wrist, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, hemorrhoids, psychiatric disorder, toenail fungus, hearing loss, and migraines, as there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for degenerative disc disease with scoliosis, right knee arthritis, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee with meniscal tear, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and VA treatment.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease, healed fracture of the left 2nd toe, and cervical spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, low back disability, left sciatic radicular pain and paresthesia of left leg, bilateral elbow disability, and respiratory insufficiency (dyspnea) with nodules in lungs. The claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder, service connection for generalized anxiety disability, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were remanded.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for migraines including migraine variants and denied ratings more than 10 percent for left lateral epicondylitis, GERD, and service connection claims.

The appeal for service connection for low back and middle back disabilities was dismissed due to an untimely notice of disagreement.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee disabilities, dismissed a back disability appeal, and remanded claims for service connection for a back disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and right hernia due to the Veteran's inability to attend scheduled VA examinations.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's left knee, lumbar spine, and bilateral hip degenerative diseases as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection and initial ratings for certain conditions, denied service connection for an eating disorder and a facial injury, and denied higher ratings for several musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions.

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

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including right and left shoulder pain, nephrolithiasis, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and upper extremity radiculopathy. The claims were not granted.

The Board denied an increased rating for the lumbar spine disability and granted a 20 percent evaluation for right lower extremity radiculopathy, while denying compensable evaluations for other conditions. The Board also remanded several service connection claims.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, a heart condition as secondary to hypertension, and lower extremity vascular disability as secondary to diabetes mellitus type 2. The claims for peripheral neuropathy in all four extremities and amputation of toes were also granted as secondary to diabetes mellitus type 2. However, the claims for a neck condition, COPD, gall bladder removal, and chronic kidney disease were denied.

The Board granted an effective date of August 6, 2021, but no earlier, for the award of a 10 percent rating for right hip strain, impairment of the thigh. Other claims were denied.