Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a psychosis or sensorineural hearing loss within one year post-service, and the Veteran is not entitled to an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability or headaches.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability has not resulted in an exceptional or unusual disability picture so as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards, and therefore her claim for an increased rating on an extraschedular basis is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and other procedural issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his claims.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for a left hip disability, right knee disability, low back disability, and frostbite residuals. The Board has requested further examination and review of his medical records to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected left knee disability or other in-service events.,The Veteran also seeks TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's spine disability warrants a rating of 20 percent, but no more, for his service-connected lumbosacral strain (low back disability).

The Board found that the Veteran's current lumbar spine disability was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and denied the claim.

The Veteran's low back strain with degenerative narrowing at L4-5 was granted a 40 percent rating effective December 13, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the current assigned ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected low back strain and associated radiculopathy.

The Veteran's low back disorder is manifested by chronic pain and moderate limitation of motion, but there is no objective evidence indicating severe impairment or incapacitating episodes. The current rating of 20 percent adequately reflects the severity of her disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee, left knee, right hip, left hip, and low back disabilities as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as her thoracic and lumbar spine disability, gluten enteropathy and GERD, and left foot disability do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's low back pain is rated at 10 percent, and the other claims for service connection are denied. The effective date of this rating decision remains to be determined.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for lumbar strain prior to July 31, 2009 was denied. A 10 percent rating for the condition effective as of July 31, 2009 is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder due to lack of evidence of a current disability and no relationship between his military service and any diagnosed condition.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability and granted it. The Veteran's claims for respiratory condition, skin disorder, and PTSD have also been addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the thoracic spine was restored to a 10 percent rating effective November 8, 2006. The initial ratings for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities were also granted.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss prior to September 29, 2008 and in excess of 30 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found no evidence linking the current conditions to his active service.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability in service and denied the claim. For bilateral onychomycosis, the Veteran's current condition is not shown to meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, left ear hearing loss, a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure, migraine headaches, visual disability, and back disability. The reasons given were that there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors for PTSD, no current diagnoses related to service for other conditions, and the Veteran's accounts of events during service were not credible.