Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disorder and low back injury are currently pending.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right foot cold weather injury, left foot cold weather injury, right hand cold weather injury, left hand cold weather injury, bilateral pes planus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, acquired psychiatric disorder, headache disorder, and low back disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his thoracolumbar strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, right knee strain with chondromalacia and patellofemoral pain syndrome, and left knee strain with chondromalacia. The examinations must include both active and passive range of motion testing, as well as weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing assessments.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and a low back disability are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and plantar fasciitis, respectively.

The Veteran's claims for headaches/migraines, back condition and high blood pressure have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,However, these claims are still pending as they were remanded for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development and evaluation of the Veteran's claims, including his vertigo and back disability claims. The issues are inextricably intertwined as the outcome of these claims may significantly impact other related claims.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his lumbar degenerative disc disease and strain was denied. His claim for SMC at the housebound rate was granted, but with conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate statement of reasons or bases regarding the duty to assist in the June 2016 VA examination, specifically for passive range of motion measurements and flare-up assessments.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and there is no sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, warranting a TDIU from March 29, 2016.

The Board granted a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back disability from December 5, 2019. The Veteran also received separate noncompensable ratings for gouty arthritis of the right and left knees with limitation of flexion.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, allergic rhinitis, right hip strain, and left hip disability manifested by pain are granted service connection.,The Veteran's pneumothorax is granted on an aggravation basis from a pre-existing condition during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a back disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, and OSA are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The claims will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's migraines are granted a 50% rating, the residuals of traumatic brain injury prior to March 21, 2018 are denied, and from March 21, 2018 forward, a higher rating is denied. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine receives a 40% rating, and service connection for erectile dysfunction as a residual of TBI is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and further development is required. The issues include back disability, right hip disability, erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD and vasectomy residuals, and a right testicular condition.

All issues related to service connection, increased ratings, and TDIU have been dismissed due to final adjudication or ongoing development.

The Board has remanded the case due to a procedural error in sending the supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) to the Veteran's prior representative. The current representative was not given sufficient time to respond.