Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for further action due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Veteran's tension headaches, contact dermatitis, tinea pedis, and lipoma have been shown to have originated during active service. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no evidence of any chronic low back condition in service or within one year after service. The medical opinion provided by VA also supported this conclusion.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine prior to July 19, 2021, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter is remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of his claimed disabilities to active service.

The Veteran's appeal for left elbow tendonitis, left knee disorder, low back disorder, and right elbow bursitis has been resolved in his favor. The issue of service connection for a left elbow disorder is dismissed as the claim was granted previously.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, and his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied the remaining issues on appeal. Tinnitus is found to be related to active service, while no current disability or relationship to service is established for the other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further medical examinations.,The Veteran is also seeking a TDIU and SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for further examination and opinion as the current opinions do not address whether his service-connected disabilities aggravated his obesity, which in turn caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that it was aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD warrants a rating of 70 percent, and he is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and secondary service connection for a back disability, finding no evidence linking his current condition to his active-duty service or to his service-connected stroke residuals.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining a retrospective VA opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected low back disability prior to August 5, 2020.

The Board has determined that the reduction in disability rating from 20 percent to 0 percent for right lumbar radiculitis was improper and restored a 20 percent rating. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating for right lumbar radiculitis is remanded due to lack of recent examination.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records from the period on appeal and scheduling another VA examination.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted a 20 percent rating prior to March 28, 2019. From March 28, 2019 to March 9, 2023, the claim for an increased rating was denied. Since March 9, 2023, the Veteran's claim remains pending as a higher rating is not granted.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected due to herbicide agent exposure.,The Veteran's kidney disability and erectile dysfunction are granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus and hypertension.,The Veteran's colon cancer is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability, right shoulder disability, and psychiatric disability (apart from service-connected neurocognitive impairment) due to incomplete medical opinions and lack of a VA examination.