Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and a disability identified as PDMS. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected low back disability and whether he has left and right lower extremity radiculopathy related to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, effective December 23, 1978. The claim for an increased evaluation has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing he currently has the claimed conditions.

The Board has received notification of the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal regarding service connection for a psychiatric disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for an examination to assess the etiology of any diagnosed low back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and therefore, his claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not have their clinical onset in active service or are otherwise causally related to active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for thoracolumbar spine disability and hemorrhoids were denied. The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability was found to not warrant a rating greater than 20 percent prior to August 2, 2010 or greater than 40 percent since that date. His compensable rating for hemorrhoids was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disorders are not related to his service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for another VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's low back disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disorders are not etiologically related to active service, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examinations and records, particularly regarding service treatment records from the Veteran's Air National Guard service. The claims will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine disorder and there is no evidence linking any such condition to service. As such, service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is denied.

The Veteran's low back disability was initially rated as noncompensable, and a separate compensable rating for GERD prior to June 29, 2009. The Veteran is now rated with a 30 percent evaluation for GERD since that date.,The Veteran's low back disability remains at a noncompensable rating. His GERD has been rated as 30 percent disabling since June 29, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine was to 30 degrees or less, which is required for a higher rating.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to address the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, including whether it is related to service and if any congenital defect was aggravated during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is denied as there is no evidence showing a current disability related to his active duty service or any service-connected condition. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a chronic disorder at the time of discharge and does not have continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from the Florida Department of Corrections and scheduling a VA examination to reconcile conflicting opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder.

The Veteran's claimed lumbar spine, foot, ankle, and joint pain disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service. Joint pain is not related to service.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain a VA examination and additional medical records, as well as to determine whether the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder with associated bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy pre-existed service or was aggravated by military service.