Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his left elbow condition, cubital tunnel syndrome, shoulder condition, back condition, knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, eye condition, neuropathy of the hands, and neuropathy of the feet.,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding his bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome).,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding his shoulder condition.,The Veteran's appeal is also remanded to obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his back condition.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his knee, eye, hand, and foot conditions.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (cyclothymic disorder and PTSD) appeal is also remanded for an examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his eye condition.,The Veteran's appeals are all remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his hand and foot conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and remanded it due to need for further examination. The Veteran's claim for hypertrophic scar on the right shoulder is granted.

The Board denied service connection for low back, left and right elbow, left and right knee disabilities, as well as insomnia and OSA. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the medical evidence presented.,Service treatment records did not show any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions. Post-service medical records indicated that the Veteran was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral elbow (and tricep tendonitis), and knee strain.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete medical records and insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of her claimed disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased ratings for hiatal hernia, PTSD with nightmare disorder, and lumbosacral strain. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's service records indicate a back injury during service, and he now claims his current condition is related to this incident.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to June 3, 2019, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability was previously rated at 10% prior to November 20, 2018. From November 20, 2018, to July 30, 2020, the rating was increased to 20%. Since then, a higher rating has not been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome and lumbar scars has been remanded due to the need for additional examination to assess the severity of these conditions. The initial compensable rating for the lumbar scar condition is granted, but the issue of a higher rating for IVDS remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his low back disability due to an inadequate VA examination report. The case is now pending and will be reviewed with new evidence.

The Board has remanded the claim for an increased rating for service-connected low back disability from April 13, 2015, to January 7, 2019 due to inadequate examinations and need for updated treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a neck condition, and back problems with arthritis were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,An earlier effective date claim for PTSD with cognitive disorder, not otherwise specified, alcohol dependence, and status post concussive head injury was dismissed as it is not legally viable.

The Board has remanded the case due to new VA clinical documentation received after the November 2019 statement of the case. The Veteran was notified and had the opportunity to waive review, but did not respond.

The appeal for service connection for a right hand disability is dismissed. The appeals for low back disability, chest pains, GERD, OSA, and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining a retrospective evaluation of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability from service through his death. The AOJ is also instructed to consider whether extraschedular TDIU referral is warranted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for back pain, left foot bunion, and right foot bunion due to outstanding medical records from Germany.

The Board has already granted service connection for sciatica, right lower extremity and left lower extremity secondary to low back condition. Therefore, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's back disability, rhinitis, and other conditions. The VA will attempt to obtain relevant private treatment records from WHC and Dr. S., as well as any outstanding VA treatment records. A new VA examination will be scheduled for these claims.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar spine condition, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder without agoraphobia, alcohol abuse disorder, and sleep disorder due to the finding that these conditions were not incurred in line of duty.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, Meniere's disease, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and lumbosacral spine disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's complete service treatment records are not available.