Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right knee strain are granted service connection as they began in service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been granted a 40 percent rating effective November 13, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for service-connected sinusitis and back disabilities due to outstanding medical records not being obtained.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back condition, pulmonary condition, and Parkinson's disease due to incomplete records. The Veteran is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain his treatment records and an opinion from a clinician regarding the nature and etiology of each condition.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the prior remand directives and another remand is required for further development of the Veteran's neck and back disability claims.

The Veteran's asthma is found to be related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board also grants a TDIU prior to April 15, 2015 due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient consideration of the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, and for obtaining new examinations to address these issues.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for an arachnoid cyst and a back disability due to the grant of service connection by the September 2024 VA RO rating decisions.

The Board denied service connection for skin rash, right ear hearing loss, and actinic keratosis. The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was rated as 10 percent disabling, left ear hearing loss was not compensable, and his actinic keratosis did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of lumbosacral strain did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,The Board also denied service connection for a right knee disability, concluding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of right knee degenerative joint disease did not begin during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU for the period from April 2, 2016, to November 1, 2022, due to his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected back condition and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve have been rated appropriately, with a temporary 100% rating for his back condition from March 16, 2012 to July 31, 2012, and September 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018. The Veteran's initial 10% rating for a back scar has been granted.

The Board has determined that additional evidence was added to the claims file after a statement of the case was issued, and thus the appeal must be remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran is granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities effective June 25, 2012. The Board found that the service-connected conditions alone have been of sufficient severity to produce unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability was denied an increased rating, with a final rating of 40% since May 2, 2018.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and the appeal for an increased rating has been denied. The Board also found that TDIU was granted as of January 16, 2010, but not earlier.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain, trapezius strain of the left shoulder, PIP strain of the ring finger of the right hand, lumbosacral strain, and IT band syndrome of the right knee. The appeal is granted in full.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is due to his active service and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus, a sleep related disorder, a cervical spine (neck) disorder, a thoracolumbar spine (lower back) disorder, and a left knee disorder as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to deficiencies in previous medical opinions. The appellant's lumbar spine, right ankle, and left elbow disabilities are all involved.