Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability/IVDS, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to an in-service injury or disease. The Board also found that the Veteran's low back disability is not secondary to her service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for further evidentiary development due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected pes planus is not found to be related to any of his claimed disabilities.

The claim to service connection for a cholesterol disability is dismissed. The claims to service connection for bilateral knee, gout, back, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy disabilities are denied. Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for heart disability is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has remanded them due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder, neck condition, residuals of chemical burns, left knee condition, and low back condition.

The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic headache disorder, left foot disorder, left ankle disorder, DJD of the right knee, DJD of the left knee, and lumbar spine disorder.,There is no evidence in the STRs or VA treatment records that supports a link between any of these conditions and active duty service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety and depression. The other claims of service connection are remanded.

The Veteran is currently in receipt of a 30% rating for her right shoulder disability, effective January 13, 2015. She contends that the shoulder disability increased in severity prior to this date.,The Veteran is currently in receipt of a 30% rating for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, effective January 2, 2015. She contests the effective date.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for an initial (compensable) rating for right ear hearing loss disability. The claims for service connection for a left ankle disorder, Meniere's disease, and left ear hearing loss disability are remanded due to additional VA records needing to be obtained and further examination required. The claim for an increased rating for degenerative spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for DDD of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral hip disorder and bilateral shoulder disorder as secondary to a back disorder.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10% rating, but no higher. Service connection for bilateral flatfoot and low back disability are denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's disability rating for his degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the thoracic and lumbar spine should be increased, but requires a new VA examination to address the current severity of his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities, including depression and back pain. The Board has granted TDIU based on the impact of these conditions.

The Veteran's disability evaluation for a low back injury with recurrent mechanical lumbosacral strain was restored to 40 percent, effective May 1, 2015. The claim for an increased rating for the same condition was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a lower back condition and a right hip condition. Service connection is denied for an unspecified depressive disorder and feelings of guilt stemming from an in-service incident. The case is remanded to determine the nature and etiology of any current bilateral testicle conditions.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of his disability rating for lumbar spine disability from 40 to 20 percent, effective December 28, 2013, was dismissed due to the death of the appellant before a decision could be made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right leg above the knee amputation and left lower foot peripheral neuropathy, have resulted in a combined disability rating of 90 percent. The Board has determined that these conditions meet the criteria for eligibility for specially adapted housing due to locomotion limitations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for traumatic brain injury and a back condition. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine was denied. His claim for TDIU prior to March 13, 2019 was also denied. However, his claim for TDIU from March 13, 2019 is dismissed as moot.