Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's current low back disability, including pain and degenerative disc disease, is related to his in-service parachuting accident. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of a back disability, bilateral knee disability, great right toe disability, and migraine headaches. The claims are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to address the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's urethra stricture is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating may be warranted based on his current symptoms. The Veteran’s lumbar spine disability was also found to warrant further examination due to his assertions of worsening.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and his TDIU claim from October 11, 2012 to July 12, 2017 was denied due to lack of evidence showing he is unemployable because of service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's current degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is related to service and has been recurrent since then, meeting all elements for service connection.

The Board has ordered remand of the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disorders, as these issues were not adequately addressed in prior opinions. The VA examiner is required to provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s spinal conditions are related to active service or caused by his service-connected right posterior tibialis disorder.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, IBS, and PCT are granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.,Service connection for myocardial chest pain and RUE disorder is denied.,Service connection for cold injury residuals is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, tinnitus, and LBBB. The Veteran's claim for left knee and right knee disabilities is also remanded. The effective date of the increased rating for LBBB remains August 28, 2014.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's low back disorder and his military service, including exposure to vibrations from operating equipment and being on ships during service. The Veteran also reported assaults that may have contributed to his current condition.

The Veteran's low back strain has been granted service connection.,Service connection for high cholesterol is denied as it is not a compensable disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not precluded him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, and thus TDIU is denied. The case is being remanded to obtain additional information regarding the Veteran's employment status and to schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for herniated nucleus pulposus with degenerative disc disease was denied.,Claims for increased ratings for right ulnar neuropathy and left upper extremity neuropathy were also denied prior to August 24, 2016. However, the claims were granted as of that date.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back, right hip, and sinus disabilities due to in-service injuries or conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and PTSD, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service injuries.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of lumbar spine, cervical spine, left knee, right knee, and headaches disabilities. Additional development is needed to obtain workman's compensation records related to the Veteran’s claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on objective PFT results and medication use.,PFB is currently rated as noncompensable. The evidence did not show systemic therapy or more than five percent of exposed areas affected.

Service connection is granted for lumbar degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's cervical disability and cause of death are remanded for further review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and residuals of TBI due to inadequate VA examinations. The claims will be further developed with new examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to preclude substantially gainful employment, as the VA examiners found that her conditions do not prevent her from performing sedentary work.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine condition has been reopened, and the appeal is granted. The cervical spine condition issue remains pending.