Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine arthritis with degenerative disc disease and chronic muscle strain, but denied service connection for right shoulder arthritis with chronic muscle strain and left shoulder arthritis with chronic muscle strain as not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disorder and is now remanding it for further development. The issues of left shoulder pain, arthritis in the cervical spine, and right knee pain are also being addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to unclear etiology of hypertension, left knee condition and low back pain. The Veteran's claims are not decided at this time.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied, and his claim for an increased rating for pes planus with foot strain is remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have any current diagnoses of the claimed conditions and there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and erectile dysfunction are granted service connection as they are related to his active duty. The degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is also granted, but the hip condition, leg disorder, and major depression claims remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to higher disability ratings or service connection based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is dismissed because it is a free-standing claim and not based on CUE in a final rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to evaluate the current severity of his low back disability, including whether there is favorable or unfavorable ankylosis and any associated neurologic abnormalities. The issue will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected myofascial pain syndrome of the thoracic spine was denied by the Board. The appeal is based on the Veteran's complaints of chronic back pain, muscle tightness at T11-T12 level, and daily flare-ups.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability is being remanded due to the need for an adequate VA examination to assess neurologic findings.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to deficiencies in the March 2009 decision regarding the duty to assist.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 40 percent for the veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease, L5, effective from June 24, 2009. Prior to that date, the disability was rated at 20 percent.

The Board has found no evidence of in-service injury or disease for the claimed conditions, and thus denied all service connection claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to be in need of regular aid and attendance, as he requires assistance with activities such as grooming, preparing meals, and keeping himself safe from the hazards of his daily environment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for hypertension and granted service connection. The claims of service connection for a left leg disorder, right leg disorder, and low back disorder are addressed on de novo basis due to additional service department records received. Effective dates earlier than May 27, 2005, for the awards of service connection for hypothyroidism and major depressive disorder are granted.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for a low back disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected bilateral hip, back, and hearing loss disabilities were denied. The issue of entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) was also addressed.