Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

Service connection is denied for a right ear hearing loss disability, hyperlipidemia, asthma, hypertension, major depressive disorder, left hamstring tendonitis, and mechanical low back strain.,The Veteran's claims are remanded to obtain additional VA examinations and treatment records.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a lower back disorder and granted it, finding that there is a link between the Veteran's current condition and his in-service injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, finding that there is no evidence linking his current headaches to his active duty service or to his service-connected thoracolumbar strain with spasms.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting the Veteran's account of exposure to hazardous fumes in a tank aboard ship, which allegedly caused his current disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Veteran's representative withdrew all the issues from the notice of disagreement, including entitlement to service connection for a parathyroid tumor, a low back condition, and increased ratings for left knee patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative joint disease and right knee patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative joint disease. As a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with myositis. The VA examiners are requested to provide opinions on whether these conditions are aggravated by the service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claims will be remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected condition and the claimed secondary disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a disability rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease in excess of 20 percent prior to December 7, 2011 and in excess of 40 percent from December 7, 2011 due to insufficient information regarding incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such a nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of asthma and a back condition for further medical guidance due to insufficient opinions in the VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for low back, left ankle, bilateral lower extremity (claimed as secondary to low back disability), and left testalgia disabilities. The gastrointestinal disability claim is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder with radiculopathy and erectile dysfunction, finding that the Veteran did not have a chronic condition within one year of separation from service or continuity of symptomatology since separation. The Board also found no in-service incurrence linked by medical nexus to current diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her lumbar spine strain due to inadequate examination and failure to address functional loss during flare-ups or in bending and sexual activity. A new VA examination is required.

The Board has remanded the case to refer the Veteran's claims for an extraschedular evaluation to the Director of Compensation Service due to evidence suggesting that his disabilities combined to cause chronic pain, sleep disturbances, falling, and absences from work.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of his low back disability and an increased rating for PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between the Veteran’s current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for upper back and bilateral knee disabilities are reopened, and the appeal of these issues is granted. The Board has ordered a VA examination to determine if the disabilities had their onset in or are otherwise attributable to the Veteran’s period of active service.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, and back disability (secondary to left knee) as all have been found to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for an eye disability and a back disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is presumed credible regarding his in-service injuries, but additional medical records are needed to determine if there is a link between his current disabilities and service.

The claim for service connection of the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right hip disability and right foot disability is reopened. The claims for secondary service connection are remanded due to lack of an opinion on whether these disabilities were caused or aggravated by his service-connected status-post compartment release of the right lower extremity with residual saphenous neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.,The Veteran is also seeking an earlier effective date for TDIU and SMC, which are being remanded as well.