Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for post-concussive headaches prior to July 28, 2015 was denied. A 50 percent rating is granted since that date. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others were denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for lower back disorder, neck disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, pneumonia, upper extremities disorder, lower extremities disorder, bones and joints disorder, dizziness, GERD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction. Additional development is needed to obtain complete service records and private medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, previously characterized as headaches, was reopened. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim. Service connection is granted for bilateral knee disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, right hand disorder, and back disorder. However, service connection for residuals of flesh wound of the right leg is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and an opinion regarding whether her service-connected disabilities render her permanently and totally disabled.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board has ordered a remand to obtain private chiropractic records for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for gastrointestinal, lower back, and erectile dysfunction conditions due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and a left hip disorder (secondary to a lumbar spine disorder) need further development due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for her lumbar spine disability and TDIU are both remanded due to the need for additional examinations and a determination by the Director of Compensation Service regarding whether she is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative changes with strain, lumbar spine is denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient opinions regarding his lumbar spine disability and bilateral knee disabilities, as well as the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple musculoskeletal disabilities, including right shoulder, left shoulder, back, right knee, left knee, right shin splints, left shin splints, right hand, and left hand disabilities. The claims are based on the Veteran's active duty service in Afghanistan.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back condition, dental condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and bilateral foot condition, all related to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with spondylolisthesis of L5-S1 is remanded due to inadequate examination and failure to address flare-ups.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records, as the Veteran underwent surgery since his last VA examination in July 2017.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating as there is no evidence of ankylosis or neurological manifestations.

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for service connection of dyshidrotic eczema, IBS, GERD, and a low back disability. The Board finds the claims were not filed until after the relevant time periods.,The Veteran's initial claim was denied in November 1996, but he did not file another claim for these conditions until years later.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and an initial evaluation of 20 percent for the cervical spine disability. The claims for fatigue, sleep disability, erectile dysfunction, radiculopathy of the upper left extremity, right knee meniscal tear, left knee osteoarthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, and migraine headaches have been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, left hip disability, and right hip disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to service. The Veteran's back pain during service is noted, but there are no definitive records linking his current hip disabilities directly to his back condition.