Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for clarification regarding ankylosis of the Veteran's lumbar spine and further evaluation of his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran experienced incapacitating episodes requiring bed rest prescribed by a doctor due to his low back condition, and to obtain private treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with range of motion testing and a need for retrospective opinions regarding past functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a clinical opinion regarding the etiology of his disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is granted. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's current disability raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back pain, PTSD, TBI with headaches and numbness of upper and lower extremities are remanded as there are no recent medical records to assess the severity of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip pain, eczema, and muscle/joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness are remanded as VA opinions are inadequate. Further development is needed to determine if his disabilities qualify under presumptive provisions or if they are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right hip pain is remanded as the VA opinion of record was inadequate and did not address direct service connection, aggravation prong of secondary service connection, or provide a rationale based on medical literature.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with thoracic spine strain is denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent.,For the period prior to March 17, 2023, the Veteran's cervical spine disability is denied an increased rating in excess of 20 percent. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted a 40 percent rating.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including skin cancer on the left side of his face, erectile dysfunction (ED), vertigo, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a lower back condition, and an overactive bladder. The claims are being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the issue of whether the appellant's character of discharge from his military service constitutes a bar to VA benefits, excluding health care benefits under Chapter 17. The appeal is pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the veracity of the Veteran's lay reports and the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his back disability, including whether he suffers from any neurologic symptoms related thereto.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability. The issues of service connection for neck, upper back, and/or shoulders disabilities; low back disability; right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a low back disability; and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a low back disability are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral foot disability, tinnitus, and chronic lumbar spine pain due to a procedural error in recognizing his VA Form 10182 as a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD).

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and medical opinions due to missing records, verification of service, and inadequacies in previous opinions.

The Board has determined that the current VA examination opinions are inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to his service or one of his service-connected disabilities, with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease, finding that there is at least a balance of evidence to support this determination. The condition had its onset during active duty and continues to present day.

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected neck disability, from January 11, 2006. The remaining issues have been remanded and will be addressed again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate medical opinions. The claims are related to service connection for various disabilities, including back pain, knee injuries, and foot conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and an increased rating claim. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted with a 20% evaluation effective May 22, 2017.

The Veteran's back disability is currently rated at 10 percent prior to July 27, 2018, and 20 percent thereafter. The Board finds the September 2018 VA examination inadequate for assessing the current severity of the lumbar spine disability and remands the case for a new examination.

The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with the previous remand directives regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The case is being returned to the Regional Office for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied all extraschedular rating claims for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, finding that the schedular ratings adequately contemplated his disability picture and there were no related factors such as marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.