Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's prostate cancer claim is denied due to lack of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and insufficient evidence linking his condition to service.,The Veteran's left ankle disability claim is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding pre-existing versus in-service aggravation.,The Veteran's lower back disability claim is remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion on the relationship between his current condition and service.,The Veteran's depression claim is remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion on the relationship between his current condition and service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded for a new VA examination to determine if he has hearing loss and whether it is related to service.,The Veteran's type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and nontoxic goiter claims are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to his left ankle injury.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion on the relationship between his current condition and service.,The Veteran's nontoxic goiter claim is remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion on the relationship between his current condition and service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left shoulder conditions, low back condition, neck condition, and right ankle condition. The right foot condition is not currently diagnosed.

The appeal for cervical spine disability is dismissed, and the thoracolumbar spine disability is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for neck, back, right hip, and left hip disabilities as well as athlete's foot. The diagnoses were not established during active duty or due to in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability, along with other disabilities, rendered her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of April 1, 2020. She is granted a TDIU effective from that date.,Effective April 1, 2020, the Veteran also received SMC at the 's' rate due to having one service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling and additional disabilities independently rated at least 60 percent disabling.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis with abnormal curvature of the lumbar spine and left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for anxiety, depression, and insomnia was dismissed due to an impermissible concurrent election. The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS).

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar disc strain has been found to have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since January 12, 2015. An effective date of January 12, 2015, for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical and lumbosacral spine strain, finding that the conditions began during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right ankle ankylosis and knee replacements, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since January 30, 2024. The Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied.,Both the lumbar spine condition and right lower extremity radiculopathy were rated at 40 percent, with no higher rating granted.

The Board has readjudicated the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease, IVDS (claimed as a lower back condition) and degenerative disc disease, IVDS (claimed as an upper neck condition).,Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right Achilles tendonitis. The earliest effective date assigned was April 24, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar disorder rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to May 30, 2017.

The Veteran's back disability is granted as it is presumed to have been incurred in service due to continuity of symptoms since separation.,Right knee, right hip, and right shoulder disabilities are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is granted as service-connected. The claims for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral flat feet, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis. The Veteran's pre-existing conditions worsened during active duty service.

The Veteran's left foot disability is rated at 20 percent, effective February 15, 2020. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain remains at a 10 percent rating. The Veteran's PTSD claim has been remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for cervical strain, lumbar spine strain, loose teeth, and cyst excision residuals have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's claim for kidney disease has been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's left shoulder and back disabilities are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding continuous symptoms since military service.