Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of December 6, 2001 for service connection for degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine based on newly associated service personnel records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back condition is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied service connection for right elbow bursitis due to lack of a current diagnosis. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's back disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral knee strain and lumbosacral strain was granted on February 28, 2024. The Board denied an earlier effective date because the first complete claim (for sleep apnea) was filed after the ITF.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims were denied as he did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability or eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance prior to July 19, 2019.

The Board has found that VA did not obtain all relevant Social Security Administration records, which may contain pertinent medical evidence. The case is therefore being remanded to allow for the retrieval of these records.

The Veteran's claim for travel reimbursement was granted as he met the eligibility criteria and provided timely documentation.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and strain residuals is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no credible evidence of a stressor during service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, cardiomyopathy, HTN, and right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis were all denied due to lack of in-service injury or event.,There was no indication that the Veteran participated in toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) as he did not meet the requirements for a Persian Gulf War veteran. The STRs could not be located, and further efforts would have been futile.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for lumbar myositis and service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Board will obtain new examinations and opinions to address the severity of his lumbar disability and the etiology of his bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on all issues related to service connection for various lower extremity and joint disabilities due to a procedural defect in filing his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for depressive disorder associated with lumbar disc disease was granted on March 24, 2021. The Board found that the effective date should be set to this date as there is no legal link between the previous claim and the new claim.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for a TDIU award and a 40% rating for back disability, finding that the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for these awards prior to July 25, 2024.

Your appeal for service connection of a lumbar spine disability has been dismissed as the issue was already on appeal and remanded by the Board.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of low back and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The examiner is required to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these disabilities are related to service, or if they were caused by or aggravated by a service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for her service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is denied. The current rating of 20 percent remains unchanged.

The appeal for a right shoulder disability is dismissed. The lumbar spine disability claim is denied as the evidence does not support its onset during service or being related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.

Entitlement to service connection for hematuria (claimed as kidney condition) is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for lower back condition is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for mood disorder is denied.,Entitlement to service connection for cervical spine condition is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of right and left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, as well as lumbosacral spondylosis of L5-S1 with arthritis, are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records dated since March 2020.