Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted to determine if the Veteran's back disability is related to her active-duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient evidence and potential procedural errors. The Veteran will have an opportunity to submit additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and benefits related to his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability are being remanded due to the need for further examination and development of evidence.

The Board found no evidence that the Veteran's periodic limb movement disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, eye disability, back disability, or right knee disability began during active service.,The Board determined there was insufficient evidence to establish a connection between any of these conditions and periods of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an adequate rationale in the August 2020 VA addendum opinion regarding whether any diagnosed lumbar spine condition is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected left hip trochanteric bursitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear mixed hearing loss, right ear sensorineural hearing loss, and back disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was dismissed as moot because he has been in receipt of a total (100 percent) disability rating since February 26, 2016.

The claims for service connection have been reopened, but the issues remain remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's conditions and her service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cervical spine degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity were granted a 30 percent disability rating from March 28, 2014.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the left upper extremity was also granted on March 28, 2014.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for pinguecula, lower back disability, cervical disability, and headaches. These issues are remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was denied in the April 2010 rating decision, and her claim for low back condition was reopened but remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board granted an effective date of June 13, 2011, for the award of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy. The claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy was denied as it did not manifest prior to January 8, 2013. A rating in excess of 40 percent for a back disability prior to March 26, 2014, and in excess of 60 percent thereafter, is denied. The claim for right lower extremity radiculopathy was granted with a rating of 20 percent effective July 18, 2013. Service connection for cardiovascular insufficiency was denied.

The Veteran's petition to reopen her claims for service connection for insomnia, bilateral pes planus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including schizophrenia and anxiety), and thoracolumbar spine condition is granted.,An earlier effective date of May 2, 2016, but no earlier, for a disability rating of 20 percent for neuropathy of the left hand fourth webspace is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his failure to appear for VA examinations. The Veteran is required to attend these examinations.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for asthma and increased rating for lumbar spine disability. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated based on its range of motion.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, radicular pain of the upper extremities, GERD, and shoulder strain with impingement have been granted. The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine and lumbar spine are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbosacral strain, right sciatic radiculopathy, and left sciatic radiculopathy due to insufficient information regarding the severity of the Veteran's flare-ups during VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and denied service connection for right shin splints and left shin splints. The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is related to his active service, while the claims for right and left shin splints are not supported by current medical evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for a lumbar spine disability was granted with an initial rating of 20 percent, effective prior to February 28, 2020. From that date onwards, the Veteran's condition is rated at 20 percent. The case has been remanded for further evaluation regarding bladder impairment secondary to his lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back conditions and adjustment disorder, have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since October 22, 2009. The Board has granted TDIU on both an extraschedular basis (prior to February 14, 2011) and on a schedular basis (from February 14, 2011).