Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for chronic neck pain and low back pain due to procedural issues. The claims remain pending under different systems.

The Board remanded all issues to obtain adequate medical opinions on the veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain, headaches, urinary frequency disability, and pseudofolliculitis barbae due to inadequate medical examinations.

Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. A compensable rating for left lower extremity surgery scar is denied. All other issues are remanded.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for an earlier effective date for several service-connected conditions but remanded the issues related to initial disability ratings.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was remanded due to new and relevant evidence, but ultimately denied because the evidence did not show a diagnosis of a low back disability or functional impairment.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for left knee issues, lumbosacral strain, and tinnitus were denied. However, service connection for a gluteal scar was granted.

The veteran's claim for a thoracolumbar spine disorder was granted an initial 40 percent rating from March 13, 2023 to February 9, 2024. However, the request for an effective date earlier than March 13, 2023 was denied.

The veteran's request for a disability rating above 70% for PTSD was denied, but they were granted TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate due to their service-connected PTSD.

The appeal for service connection of the veteran's back condition is remanded. The Board needs more information to decide if the back condition is related to military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for generalized anxiety disorder was denied. The claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, and back disabilities were remanded for further evaluation.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral flatfoot and left shoulder condition was denied due to lack of new evidence. The appeals for left knee, right knee, low back conditions, and chronic right ankle disability were remanded for reconsideration based on new evidence.

The veteran's request for a higher rating for chronic lumbar strain was denied, but the issue of total disability due to service-connected disabilities was remanded for further review.

The veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbar spine disability, including scoliosis and other related conditions, has been granted. The decision is based on evidence showing that the condition progressed during active service.

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of a bilateral knee disorder, acquired psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder), back disorder, and neck disorder. The Board found that additional development is needed prior to adjudication.

The appeal for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder was dismissed because the benefit was already granted in full by a prior decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher initial ratings for his left shoulder disability, left knee limitation of flexion, PTSD prior to November 5, 2019, or back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability is rated at 40 percent from January 11, 2006. The Board denied a higher rating for this condition and remanded the case due to insufficient evidence of unfavorable ankylosis or functional unfavorable ankylosis.

The Board remanded the case to obtain more information about the severity of the veteran's left lower extremity neuropathy.