Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining private medical records and providing additional opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and any current disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's upper back disorder is not related to service and was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for an upper back disorder is denied.

The Veteran's lumbar strain did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his acquired psychiatric disorder was rated appropriately.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is currently employed in a sedentary position and generates an income above the poverty threshold.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder, diagnosed as degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder is causally related to his service-connected bilateral knee and bilateral ankle disabilities, granting the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic low back disability, including diagnosed as a low back strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine, is not related to her active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to lack of compliance with a previous remand directive. The Veteran is requested to provide information on his 2006 back surgery and any other relevant medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's respiratory disability, low back disability, neuropathy of the lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, bladder disability, prostate disorder (benign prostatic hypertrophy), and bilateral arm disability are not related to his military service. However, he was exposed to asbestos during service, which is presumed to be a contributing factor in causing his current respiratory disability.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is found to be related to service, and his erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to a service-connected condition. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis, continuous body aches and joint pains, gastrointestinal disorder, migraine headaches, skin rash, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran's appeal is about whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a low back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which adequately reflects the severity of his disability as it does not cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected bilateral foot disabilities, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability have been denied. The VA has not provided a rating in excess of 40 percent prior to June 24, 2010; 50 percent from June 24, 2010 to March 10, 2013; and 60 percent since March 11, 2013.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for a back disability. The claim is again denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his first period of active duty service from July 1980 to July 1984. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology or a medical nexus between the current condition and this period of service.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from pancreatic cancer, which resulted in a denial of service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is as likely as not causally related to his active military service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder.