Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions, including low back pain, neck strain, shoulder strain, hip and knee issues. The reasons include lack of documentation during service, reports of chronic symptoms originating in service, and poor training conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and left knee residuals are being remanded for further development of the claims.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar back disability, and bilateral feet disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of back condition, bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy and IBS have been granted. However, the Veteran's claim for erectile dysfunction remains pending. The Board has remanded several issues including rating evaluations and service connection determinations.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, but the most recent VA examination found no limitation of motion. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as he has a combined rating of 80% from April 13, 2023.

The Veteran's claims for TBI, agoraphobia, memory loss, hemorrhoids, OSA, and erectile dysfunction have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and degenerative joint disease of the thoracic spine with history of thoracolumbar strain.

The Veteran's increased ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are remanded, as well as the TDIU claim. New VA examinations are needed to assess current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea and persistent depressive disorder with PTSD and bipolar disorder. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbar strain is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied. The Veteran's claim for a bilateral hip disability is remanded.

The Board has found that there are relevant outstanding private treatment records and service records from the Army National Guard of Massachusetts. The Veteran is advised to provide authorization for these records, which will be requested by VA.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to September 10, 2013.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disabilities due to a grant in full of the benefits sought. The Veteran's claim for PTSD is denied as he does not have a diagnosis of PTSD or an acquired psychiatric condition other than Major Depressive Disorder with anxious distress.

The Board has granted an effective date of February 17, 2009 for the award of TDIU based on service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim was pending and new evidence received within one year prior to this decision led to a reopening of his claim.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims for increased ratings and service connection can be adjudicated on the merits. The Veteran's representative requested information about the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the May 2023 examination reports, June 2023 addendum opinions, and the internal medicine physician's opinion with respect to hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, was granted. The claims for service connection for gastric ulcer with reflux (reflux), left lower extremity radiculopathy, and abnormal liver test disability were denied. The claim for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for reflux, rhinitis, and left lower extremity radiculopathy was denied. The claim for service connection for bilateral restless leg syndrome is remanded.

The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 10 percent prior to November 7, 2017, and from December 20, 2018. From November 7, 2017, to December 19, 2018, a rating of 20 percent was granted.,The Veteran's low back disability is rated based on the severity of his forward flexion and range of motion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back, neck, right hip, and right knee disabilities. The claims were reopened due to new evidence provided by a private examiner.

The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disability and a low back disability due to insufficient medical opinions in the August 2019 remand. Additional evidence was also received since the March 2020 SOC, including medical treatises discussing spinal injuries in parachutists.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability has been rated at 40 percent, and the Board has remanded for further development. The issue of TDIU has also been added to this appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal because his Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not timely filed within one year from the date of notification of the October 2017 rating decision.