Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2026

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current diagnosis and active duty service.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective March 10, 2020. The Board denied an increase in the evaluation for his low back disability as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition, including lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease, and lumbar spondylosis.,Service connection was also granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on several service-connected conditions have been remanded by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The initial rating for PTSD remains at 50 percent, and the initial rating for right ulnar nerve neuropathy remains at 10 percent. The low back condition, right thigh impairment, and right hip strain are all being remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for his lumbar spine condition and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to incomplete service records and a lack of relevant VA treatment records. The Board will seek additional opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, including determining an effective date prior to April 6, 2022, and setting a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including bilateral eye, foot, hip, low back, and right knee disabilities are denied as there is no current disability or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for low back condition and diabetes mellitus, type II, were remanded by the Board.,Both conditions are currently rated based on their direct effects rather than any presumption or secondary relationship to a pre-existing condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, sciatica or lower extremity leg pain, hiatal hernia, residuals of ovarian tumor removal surgery including stomach pains, and stomach ulcers.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his heart disability and diabetes mellitus with nephropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to their combined effects on his physical abilities.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic right wrist sprain, lumbosacral strain, a right knee disorder (right knee strain, meniscal tear, chondromalacia, and posterosuperior marginal patellar spur), left lower extremity shin splints, and right lower extremity shin splints. These conditions are considered to be directly related to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, lumbar arthropathy (lower back), numbness of chin and mouth, cervical radiculopathy, left, cervical radiculopathy, right, right lower lumbar radiculopathy, and left lower lumbar radiculopathy as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in writing.

The Veteran's claimed anxiety, stress, sleep disturbances, back disability, neck disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, and right shoulder disability are not related to his military service.,An initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a back disability due to an injury from jumping out of helicopters during active duty. The Veteran's lay statements and hearing testimony indicate a potential link between his back disability and service, but further medical examination is needed.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection of lumbar spine, cervical spine, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities due to lack of current diagnoses.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine condition, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy on a secondary basis as these conditions are proximately due to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and low back condition as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected nasal septal deviation. Service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded due to insufficient VA opinion.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date for the awards of service connection for lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, and right knee strain. The claims were not filed prior to August 30, 2024.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board will consider whether his back disability is related to his service or if it was aggravated by his diagnosed multiple myeloma.