Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis has been withdrawn. The remaining claims of service connection for a back disability, hysterectomy, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for migraines are being remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and arranging for appropriate examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative joint disease of the right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, cervical spine, and lumbar spine. However, it has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence establishing a current disability and/or a link between the claimed conditions and service. The Board found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for PTSD, but did not find any material evidence relating to the left hip disorder.

The Veteran's appeals regarding increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right lower and left lower extremity nerve impairments have been withdrawn. The Veteran is not found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), chest pain, and left ankle disability. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the Veteran's claims may be adjudicated on the merits. This includes obtaining missing service treatment records and conducting VA examinations for hearing loss, sleep apnea, and a back condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of her psychiatric, back, and hip disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, back disability, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, headaches, and organic mental disorder have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his active service.

The Veteran's left knee and lumbar spine disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA examination and obtaining a medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of her service-connected disabilities on her ability to work.

The Veteran's service-connected cyclothymic disorder with insomnia is granted, and he is assigned a 10 percent rating effective July 3, 1997. The Veteran's muscle spasms and joint pain are found to be due to his service-connected cervical spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral shoulder degenerative joint disease, bilateral lateral epicondylitis, and ORIF of the right ankle.

The Veteran's spinal disability was manifested by painful motion from January 2004 to March 2007, but there is no objective evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher disability evaluation prior to his March 2007 surgery. As such, the claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of any unadjudicated formal or informal claim prior to July 5, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion and the need for new evidence. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a brain tumor, and the lumbar spine disability was not productive of incapacitating episodes or ankylosis as required for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left wrist/hand disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.