Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and right shoulder degenerative arthritis have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his degenerative arthritis of the spine (lumbar spine) as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on forward flexion or combined range of motion.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has determined that the September 2020 rating decision severing service connection for lumbosacral strain was not proper and has remanded both issues of whether the September 2020 rating decision was proper, as well as the issue of entitlement to service connection for sciatica of the left leg as secondary to lumbosacral strain.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability should be remanded for further action due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to deficiencies in the record existing prior to the appealed decision. The appeals are now pending and will be reconsidered with additional development.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to readjudicate the previously denied claim of service connection for a lower back condition. The AOJ is now required to consider this new evidence in deciding the merits of the claim.

The Board has granted readjudication of the previously denied claims for Horner's syndrome, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability. The claims are now remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and neck disabilities, bilateral pes planus, right shoulder disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity numbness, and left upper extremity numbness are related to service. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection were denied as there was no evidence of an increase in severity or causation prior to October 14, 2020.,The Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for sleep apnea prior to October 17, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, back disorder, and hypertension. The Veteran's bilateral foot condition (shin splints) and vision/eye condition were not addressed in the decision.,Service connection was remanded for coronary artery disease, left leg angioplasty, right leg angioplasty, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder, right knee condition, and left knee condition due to a lack of adequate VA examinations.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, but a separate 20 percent rating for voiding dysfunction is granted. The Veteran's MDD is not rated higher than 30 percent. Service connection for a cervical spine disorder is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his neck and back conditions, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and diabetic neuropathy, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

Service connection for a low back disability characterized by painful limited motion is granted. A rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted from September 24, 2020 to November 16, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition to include as due to an undiagnosed illness is granted. The claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain, to include as secondary to a service-connected left knee disability, is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, left knee disability, and LLE radiculopathy due to injuries sustained from a tornado during active duty. The decision is based on credible evidence of an in-service injury and current disabilities that are at least as likely as not related to the 1957 tornado.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with history of strain was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion, and the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and needs further examination to determine if any diagnosed low back condition is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck disability was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to include as secondary to treatment for migraine headaches, was granted.