Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a bilateral knee condition, a bilateral shoulder condition, and a sleep disorder. The remaining issues of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, respiratory issues, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are being remanded.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory condition, claimed as asthma; left foot disability; right foot disability; low back disability; and sleep apnea. These claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee condition and lower back condition are remanded as there may be outstanding treatment records relevant to these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded due to the possibility of existing but unassociated medical evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral flat feet is remanded because no VA examination has been conducted yet.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, secondary to PTSD, is remanded as there may be outstanding treatment records relevant to this claim.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and a lumbar spine disability, finding no current diagnosis of these conditions and insufficient evidence linking them to service.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,An effective date earlier than January 30, 2007, for the grant of service connection for a lumbar scar is denied.,Effective dates earlier than September 25, 2018, for the grants of 10% ratings for partial paresthesia and ganglion cyst are denied.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions obtained following the October 2022 decision were inadequate and requires further remand to obtain adequate retrospective findings for limitation of motion.

The Board has found that the Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent, and his low back condition is denied as service connection. The claim for sleep apnea requires further examination.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, respiratory disorder, memory loss, low back disability, and sciatica. The Veteran's conditions were not found to be related to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 8, 2011 for a 40 percent disability rating for his lumbar myositis. The evidence did not show any factually ascertainable increase in severity within the year prior to the April 8, 2011 claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a retrospective medical opinion regarding functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including service connection for various disabilities and an initial rating for lumbar back pain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, and various extremity disabilities are not granted. The cases have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by his obesity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and left elbow disorder due to potential errors in the previous examination reports. The claims will be reviewed with additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability, hemorrhoids (including anal fissures), lumbar spine DJD and DDD, and left lower extremity neuralgia. The decision found that the pre-existing left knee disability did not increase in severity beyond its natural progression during active service, and there was no evidence of hemorrhoids or anal fissures during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for esophageal disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset in service. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional records, conduct VA examinations by specialists, and provide a new opinion on whether these disabilities are related to service.

Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's current psychiatric disorders are found to be caused by military stressors. Service connection is also granted for plantar fasciitis and OSA, with the latter being secondary to service-connected deviated septum and chronic rhinitis.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is due to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder with major depressive disorder (PTSD). The Board finds that the current sleep apnea disability is related to his service-connected PTSD and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), back condition, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability has been reopened due to new evidence.,The Veteran's TBI claim is denied as there is no credible evidence linking his current CVA to in-service head injuries.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his back disability, LLE sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and LLE femoral nerve radiculopathy due to insufficient evidence from previous examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spondylosis, and PTSD with alcohol use disorder are denied. The claim for an increased initial rating for lumbar spondylosis is granted at a 20 percent rating.