Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as the earliest available effective date is July 24, 2023, the date of receipt of his claim.

The appeals for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, back, right hip, and left hip disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran's claims were granted in full by an April 2025 rating decision.

The Veteran's service connection claim for lumbosacral strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis is granted.,The Veteran's secondary service connection claim for radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, as related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis, is also granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions provided prior to the August 2020 rating decision. The AOJ must obtain updated medical opinions addressing the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip and lower back conditions, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his active-duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and lumbosacral sprain/strain and spondylosis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, hammertoes, and tendonitis.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for low back strain, left hip condition, and right hip condition as the Veteran was granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine in a June 2023 rating decision.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine and lumbar spondylosis with multilevel mild and mild-to-moderate neural foraminal stenosis, finding that his back disorder is etiologically related to his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis and continuous low back symptomology since separation from service are sufficient to meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and increased rating for back disability are being remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, which he contends is related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine as secondary to the Veteran's right knee instability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The claim for lower back condition is also granted, with a remand for further examination.

The Board found that the evidence did not show an actual improvement in the Veteran's conditions, and thus denied the reduction requests for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there is continuity of symptomatology from his in-service injury to his current diagnosis. The appeal was also reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back disability, finding that her current condition is causally related to her active duty service. The decision also notes that there was no clear or unmistakable error in previous denial of service connection.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims for various conditions and a rating for hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder, sinusitis, acquired psychiatric disorder, right knee scar, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss are all being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain records of treatment for a left knee injury in 1965 from the U.S. Navy Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, as the Veteran claims his back disability is related to traction used for this knee injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cervical strain, erectile dysfunction, lumbosacral strain, and pseudofolliculitis barbae have all been denied. The Veteran has not submitted new and relevant evidence to support his claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.