Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the Veteran's claims of service connection for back and right knee disabilities. The claim for a back disability is granted, while the claim for a right knee disability is remanded due to insufficient rationale in supporting opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and colon condition are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The AOJ must obtain new or addendum opinions from qualified clinicians, including possibly a GI specialist, to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his conditions.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for thoracic spine disability and separate ratings for radiculopathy in the upper and lower extremities are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (other specified trauma and stressor related disorder and PTSD), and Parkinson's disease. The conditions are presumed to be due to exposure in service.,Service connection is established for all four claimed conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of back disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability as there are no new rating decisions issued in the year preceding the Veteran's October 2025 Notice of Disagreement.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left hip disability and other conditions like atrial fibrillation, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. He has been granted a total disability rating and statutory special monthly compensation at the housebound rate.

The Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure and a low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is etiologically related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for new VA examinations due to inadequate opinions in the July 2020 VA examination reports. The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, left ankle disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are being reviewed again to determine if they are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee and lower back disabilities due to incomplete information about the Veteran's duty status during his periods of active service in the National Guard and Reserves.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted with an effective date of January 9, 2018. The Board accepted her November 21, 2019 VA Form 20-0996 as a valid opt-in of the April 2019 SOC into the modernized review system.

The appeals for service connection of thoracolumbar spine disability, dental disability, headache disability (claimed as migraine headaches), and PTSD have been dismissed. The appeal regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and active service. The Veteran's back disability was not related to his in-service injury, and the cervical spine disability did not have its onset during service.

The Board has restored the 10 percent disability rating for an adjustment disorder and the 20 percent disability rating for a back condition, effective June 1, 2025. The Veteran's claims of increased ratings are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions were granted effective from July 1, 2020.

Service connection for a low back disability is granted, effective June 1, 2017.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities and a back disorder have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and onychomycosis (foot fungus), but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin rash, neck condition, and low back condition.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted, and the appeal to restore a 40% rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc other than IVDS, central canal stenosis, and scoliosis prior to June 1, 2024 is dismissed.