Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for low back and bilateral hip disabilities due to their potential secondary nature to service-connected knee disabilities. The Veteran's altered gait and reported flare-ups indicate a need for medical opinions regarding causation and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for clarification of the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current low back disorder. The claim will be re-adjudicated after obtaining additional evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral foot condition. The other issues on appeal are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran died from COPD, which is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete or missing service treatment records, and for additional development of his disabilities. The issues include DDD (back pain), scoliosis, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, deviated nasal septum, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and sleep apnea.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a lower back condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for degenerative disease with arthritis of the thoracic spine and lumbosacral strain has been dismissed due to the Veteran and his representative withdrawing their appeal.

The Board has denied service connection for an anxiety disorder due to the lack of evidence linking it to in-service stressors. The low back disability issue is remanded as VA did not provide a medical opinion addressing its relationship to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's lumbosacral strain, including obtaining VA and SSA records and conducting a new examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to inadequate VA examinations, conflicting medical opinions, and other procedural issues. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence from private providers and undergo further examination.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inconsistencies in previous opinions and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 1, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current diagnosed conditions, but the VA examiner did not address the Veteran's lay statements and self-reported symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, low back disability, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's National Guard service dates need to be verified, and his service treatment records should be obtained. An opinion is needed regarding whether any current sleep disorder(s), including sleep apnea, are related to active duty or ACDUTRA. Additionally, an opinion is required on the nature of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for further examinations. The issues include frostbite of the bilateral feet, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), hypertension, hepatitis C, erectile dysfunction, skin disability, lower back disability, skeletal arthritis, bilateral eye disability, bilateral sinus disability, esophageal disability, and stomach disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as right upper extremity radiculopathy. The reasons include inadequate examinations that did not consider flare-ups or intervertebral disc syndrome prior to December 13, 2021, and a need for another VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis were previously rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating prior to December 24, 2020. As of December 24, 2020, his disability was rated at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, hypotension, dysphagia, muscle weakness, hyperplasia of the prostate, bilateral lower extremity corns and callosities with dermatophytosis, bilateral lower extremity metatarsalgia, Parkinson's disease, anemia, hepatitis C, transient ischemic attack, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, thrombocytopenia with melena, and mixed hyperlipidemia and hyperbilirubinemia due to inadequate medical opinions based on the absence of contemporaneous documentation in service records.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is granted a 30% rating from September 1, 2014 to February 22, 2021 and a 50% rating thereafter. The Veteran's back disability remains at 40%, and his thoracic spine arthritis continues to be rated as 10%. The Veteran is granted TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his chronic thoracolumbar strain is being remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding flare-ups and functional loss.