Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck disability and thoracolumbar spine disc bulge due to potential issues with service connection, including a need for updated medical records and a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete records and a need for updated medical opinions.

The claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Veteran's diabetes and related conditions are not found to be service-connected. The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for a low back disability, sciatic nerve, right lower extremity, and bilateral upper extremity diabetic neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected neck and low back disabilities, including how functioning varies with repeated use over a period of time or flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder and low back disorders due to inadequate etiology opinions in previous VA examinations. The file will be reviewed by a similarly qualified examiner.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions and need for further examination. The Veteran's conditions include low back disability, cancer in the neck, throat, and lymph nodes, problems with stumbling and balance, and uncontrollable tremors and jerks in his hands. These issues are all related to secondary service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral pseudophakia and right eye corneal scar are granted service connection.,Weight loss is not a disability for VA compensation purposes, thus the claim is denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to PTSD, scarring of the left hand and forehead/neck, low back disability, fragment wound to the neck, shell fragment wound to the forehead, and service connection for papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid. The SSOC issued in February 2020 did not include these issues.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for major depressive disorder, lumbosacral strain, and onychomycosis of the bilateral feet was denied. The claim for a TDIU (Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability) due to service-connected disabilities was granted.

The appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder and an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to new evidence obtained during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was granted. The claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders (including persistent depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder) was also granted.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a lack of medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities and his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for major depressive disorder, secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, is granted. The other issues on appeal are remanded.

The appeal for TDIU has been withdrawn. Ratings have been granted for the Veteran's dorso lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities, but these ratings are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, and degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine have been denied. The current ratings are considered appropriate.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence. The issues include service connection for a migraine headache disability and an increased rating for low back strain.

The Veteran's appeals regarding increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the right thumb and traumatic arthritis lumbar spine are being remanded to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral strain was denied in 1974 and again in 1976. The decision became final after the Veteran did not appeal or submit new evidence within one year of each denial. The Veteran filed a new claim to reopen his back disability claim on May 9, 2016, which resulted in service connection being granted for lumbosacral strain. However, an effective date prior to May 9, 2016 is denied as there was no prior claim of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for service-connected back condition and entitlement to a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to inadequate examination. The AOJ is required to provide the Veteran with an adequate VA examination regarding his service-connected back condition.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a low back disability on a direct incurrence basis due to insufficient reasoning in the previous decision. The Veteran's credibility regarding his symptoms is now considered, and an addendum opinion must be obtained.