Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition is denied as he does not have a current disability of the left shoulder and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbosacral strain and spondylolisthesis are related to his active service, granting entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective September 6, 2016.,Service connection for fibromyalgia, low back disability, neck disability, shoulder disability, lung disability to include COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is granted with an effective date of July 28, 2011. The criteria for entitlement to a TDIU were met prior to the date of his initial claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's L4-5 and L5-S1 disc herniation and intervertebral disc syndrome with lumbosacral spinal stenosis, specifically whether it is related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability was previously rated at 10 percent prior to August 11, 2021. The Board has now remanded the case for further development and rating consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected insomnia disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxious distress (acquired psychiatric disorders). The claims for neck disability, back disability, and headaches have been denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the claims related to radiculopathy of the upper extremities, ankle sprains, and cervical pain with degenerative arthritis. The Board dismissed these appeals as a result.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder (insomnia disorder), lumbosacral strain, left elbow lateral epicondylitis, left wrist degenerative arthritis, rhinitis, sinusitis, tinnitus, leftward septal deviation, nose and neck scars, and urinary disability (manifested by increased frequency).,The Board found the evidence to be approximately evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset during or are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lower back disability, radiculopathies, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment since July 28, 2022. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need to obtain SSA records that could help substantiate these claims.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, finding that his current condition is due to injuries sustained during active duty service and continuing since.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, obstructive sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disorder have been granted initial disability ratings.,PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran is entitled to an effective date of April 9, 2019 for TDIU. However, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not referring the claim for extraschedular consideration prior to April 9, 2019, the case is being remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's request to revise a 1985 rating decision denying service connection for a low back condition due to lack of ripeness, as new evidence had been associated with his file in March 2014.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for an increased rating for PTSD and service connection for a low back disability have been withdrawn by the Veteran. As a result, these issues are dismissed.

The Veteran's upper back/neck and low back disabilities were denied as they are not related to service.,Service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities was denied because there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, effective July 1, 2020. The issue of an increased rating in excess of 40 percent remains on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and will need to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death.