Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disability, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve (PACT Act), and bilateral hip/ankle osteoarthritis have been granted with effective dates. DEA eligibility has also been established.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including a stomach condition, neck disability, lower back disability, bulging discs in the back, uterine fibroids, asthma (claimed as breathing problems), Graves' disease (thyroid disability), hypertension, and tachycardia. The Board found that there is no evidence of these conditions being related to service or toxic exposures.

The Board denied service connection for back injury, diabetes type II due to herbicide exposure, and sinusitis due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.,There was no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with AC joint sprain and lumbar spine arthritis are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's tinnitus disability is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, and all manifestations are adequately considered under his schedular ratings.,There is no persuasive evidence that the Veteran's left knee strain or sprain, right knee strain or sprain, lower back strain (lumbosacral strain), or migraines began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of TBI and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anxiety and back disability were not incurred or aggravated during his active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has granted the Appellant's petitions to readjudicate his previously denied claims for service connection for right and left knee arthritis, as well as for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability is remanded due to a lack of STRs.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral shoulder disabilities. The back disability claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that there was no evidence of any in-service incident or injury to which his current disorders may be etiologically linked.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he did not meet the criteria for attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a June 2024 rating decision. The appellant is not entitled to fees because the initial decision granting past-due benefits was not reviewed by an attorney or agent.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for a new examination, particularly regarding the Veteran's back condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring the AOJ to obtain another VA examination to determine the severity of his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not incurred in or caused by active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for frequent urination as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance regarding this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, left knee chondromalacia, and right knee chondromalacia due to new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Veteran's request for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board also granted the Veteran's requests to readjudicate previously denied claims for service connection of left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD is remanded due to the need to verify an in-service stressor.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for all issues in the docket, resulting in the dismissal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy on the basis of CUE in the February 1996 rating decision have been denied. The May 2022 rating decision is also dismissed as it failed to grant service connection.