Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder and right ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for various other conditions.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, to include spinal stenosis, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause him to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, thus granting special monthly compensation.

The Board denied increased ratings for various conditions, including loss of the sense of smell, urinary problems, erectile dysfunction, and Parkinson's disease, among others.

The Board remands the issue of service connection for lumbosacral strain due to an inadequate medical opinion.

The Board denied higher disability ratings for the veteran's low back and lower extremity radiculopathies, pseudofolliculitis barbae, pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and remanded the claims for a higher rating for spondylolisthesis with degenerative disc disease, left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and service connection for migraines.

The Board granted service connection for basal cell carcinoma and a higher initial disability rating of 70 percent for other specified trauma-and-stressor-related disorder, while denying increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right lower radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, chronic rhinitis, tension headaches, and mitral valve prolapse.

The Board remands the claim for a low back condition to obtain additional evidence and ensure an adequate medical opinion is provided.

The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder, finding it to be etiologically related to the Veteran's active service. The claims for service connection for a left hip disability, lower back disability, and cervical spine disability were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for multiple psychiatric and physical disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left foot disability, left lower extremity sciatica, low back disability, and left arm disability.

The Board granted an effective date of January 21, 2022, for the award of service connection for PTSD and a rating of 10 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve) effective December 20, 2022.

The Board granted restoration of a TDIU and DEA benefits effective February 1, 2022, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The appeal to reopen the previous denial of service connection for lumbosacral strain is dismissed as the benefit sought has been fully granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, both before and after November 8, 2024.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea and back disability, preclude his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from March 19, 2025.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to higher disability ratings for lumbar spine and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as effective dates for TDIU and DEA, due to non-compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board remands the appeal for additional development, including a retrospective opinion regarding range of motion during flare-ups and requesting evidence pertaining to the Veteran's annual income prior to January 2010.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The veteran was granted a 100 percent disability rating for the thoracic spine (T12) compression fracture with lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, effective June 21, 2019.