Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's neck disability is not service-connected as it did not begin during active service or manifest within a year thereafter.,His low back condition was first noted in service, but the VA examiner opined that it is less likely caused by his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations. The Board finds that the Veteran did not receive proper notification of his scheduled VA examinations, which were cancelled due to his absence.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the remaining issues. The Veteran's claims for right and left arm/hand conditions, lumbar spine condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, sleep apnea, and anemia are now before the RO for further review.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, both of which are considered direct service connections. The Veteran's current conditions are deemed to have been incurred in or caused by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and back disability as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to his military service. The matter of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded due to lack of information about the Veteran's employment history.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and major depressive disorder disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as her employment history is unclear, and she has failed to provide sufficient information to determine if she is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied across multiple issues, including right ankle disability, low back disability, and sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies of the left lower extremity. The decision does not specify a particular effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right shoulder impingement syndrome and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 6, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and denied compensable ratings for deviated nasal septum with allergic rhinitis, as well as separate compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis. The case was remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for migraine headaches due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's headache disability is at least as likely as not aggravated by his lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, but the claims for neck and lumbar spine disabilities as well as dizziness are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar strain disability is rated at 20% effective September 1, 2022. The left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic) disability remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with arthritis and degenerative disc disease was granted a rating of 20 percent from January 29, 2014 to October 31, 2019. The case is remanded for an examination regarding his hepatitis C.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, but has remanded them for additional development and examination.

The Board has granted a 40 percent disability rating for lumbar strain from August 15, 2016 to the present due to severe pain and muscle spasms limiting forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to no greater than 30 degrees.

The Board has decided the initial rating for insomnia and remanded the claims for migraine headaches, cervical strain, thoracolumbar strain, and service connection for benign neoplasm of the skin.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to outdated VA examinations, new evidence from a hearing before the Board, and missing or insufficient treatment records. Further development is needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish a current disability. The Board also found that her current diagnoses were not related to her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a temporary total evaluation based on convalescence due to her lumbar spine surgery, finding that the evidence did not support requiring at least one month of convalescence.