Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, as well as sciatica. The Veteran's representative provided arguments based on medical literature in November 2023, which necessitates an addendum opinion from a VA clinician.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral spondylosis with lumbar spondylosis prior to April 25, 2023 was denied. The Veteran's increased rating claim for IVDS with bilateral spondylosis with lumbar spondylosis from April 25, 2023 was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine and right foot disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and the issues of entitlement to service connection for a stomach disorder, right knee disorder, low back disorder, left thigh disorder, left foot drop, and tinnitus are remanded due to new evidence submitted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and medical opinions to assess the current severity of his service-connected knee disabilities and to determine if they are related to active duty service. The Veteran also needs to be examined for his claimed left index finger and right foot disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with her education and work experience prior to October 9, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a joint pain disability and an increased rating for lumbar spondylosis and lumbar muscle spasm has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for GERD has been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for another VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected back disability due to inadequate previous examinations and failure to address flare-ups.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and conducting examinations to assess current disability severity.

The Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities have not been granted service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have more closely approximated the 100 percent criteria for total occupational and social impairment throughout the appeal period, resulting in a grant of a 100% evaluation.,Service connection for migraines and back disorder is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions addressing secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral radiculopathy have been granted effective May 2, 2005.,Effective November 1, 2006, the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment under 38 U.S.C. § 1702 was dismissed as they were rendered moot by the grant of service connection for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress in a September 2023 rating decision. The appeal for sleep apnea, right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic and femoral), and left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic and femoral) was granted with effective dates starting from January 6, 2021.

The Veteran's right hip strain appeal is dismissed.,Service connection granted for bilateral shoulder strain, lumbar spine arthritis and disc disease, cervical disc disease, and bilateral knee strain. Service connection was not established for gastroenteritis and diarrhea due to lack of evidence.,Gastroenteritis and diarrhea were found insufficient to establish a chronic condition during service or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and PTSD, as well as his low back disorder. The claims are currently pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine and right leg disabilities due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, as the Veteran withdrew his appeals in a hearing before the Board.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability, finding that there is no persuasive evidence linking the current condition to active service.

The Veteran's left ankle sprain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are now rated at their maximum schedular ratings, with a 20% rating for the right ankle posttraumatic arthritis. The decision grants these ratings throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's service connection claim for neurogenic bladder was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The claim for increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and IVDS was remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the presence or severity of an incapacitating episode.