Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for payment of services provided by Florida Hospital Fish Memorial on June 26, 2007 is being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, TDIU, and educational benefits were denied. The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the denial of service connection for a back disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and neck disorders are not attributable to his military service, specifically the injury in June 1994. The most probative evidence indicates no such cause-and-effect correlation.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is characterized by recurrent low back pain, with some radiation into the lower extremities, little to no limitation of motion, and mild tenderness of the paraspinal musculature. The disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and hypertension, were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbar spine discogenic disease is at least as likely as not related to his in-service back injury and symptoms, with no evidence of an intercurrent injury since service. The Veteran's lay testimony supports this finding.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA disability rating criteria.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given her range of motion findings.

The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability has been granted a 30 percent extraschedular rating effective September 23, 2003. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neck and back disorders were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current neck, back, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or are not related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current back pain is related to an injury he sustained in service. The claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome was not substantiated.

The Board has denied service connection for an eye disability and a back disability, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar disc disease, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's back disability and urinary incontinence are not service-connected, and there is no evidence of a diagnosed psychiatric condition manifested by depression.

The Veteran's claims for an increase in a 40 percent rating for his low back disability and for a TDIU rating were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for macular degeneration, right eye was withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision. The case is being remanded for additional development regarding his claim for lumbar disc disease.

The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is warranted on an extraschedular basis. The claim for TDIU was also granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently shown glaucoma and anxiety disorder are not related to his active military service. The low back disorder claim is remanded for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and a right shoulder disability, finding that he did not have a current disability to relate to his military service.