Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Veteran's left lower extremity lumbar radiculopathy as a complication of his service-connected back condition was granted an effective date of July 19, 2010.,Service connection for the painful scar of the lumbar spine was denied before December 5, 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a low back disability due to insufficient medical evidence and duty to assist errors.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to deficiencies in the VA medical opinions obtained during the review process. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the severity of the appellant's disabilities, including those related to Poland's syndrome, right shoulder strain, foot disabilities, hand disabilities, and back disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of worsening symptoms or a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions related to his back disability have been denied. The low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective November 16, 2022.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating of more than 10 percent is not warranted based on the evidence provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent cervical spine and lumbar spine disabilities are remanded due to the absence of a VA examination addressing these conditions.,Service connection is denied for right ear hearing loss, recurrent traumatic brain injury residuals, left ear hearing loss, recurrent cervical spine disability, recurrent lumbar spine disability, recurrent right knee disability, recurrent right ankle disability, recurrent left ankle disability, recurrent nasal disability, and recurrent gastrointestinal disability.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain and remanded his claims regarding hypertension and cervical strain.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for migraines.

The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is found to have caused weight gain, which in turn led to his current diagnosis of sleep apnea. Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to the service-connected condition. The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and bulging disc are not manifested by forward flexion of 30 degrees or less, nor by favorable ankylosis, so a rating greater than 20 percent is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for revision or reversal of the February 8, 2007 rating decision that granted service connection for chronic hip and thoracolumbar strain disabilities. The Veteran argued for separate evaluations due to adduction limitations in hips and associated radiculopathy in spine, but the Board found no CUE.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 for both a back disability and a right shoulder disability, finding that the additional disabilities were not caused by VA care.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, impingement syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis are found to be service-connected. The lumbar spine disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis prior to the filing of the claim. Other conditions such as painful scars, hand disorders, elbow disorders, knee disorders, traumatic brain injury, vertigo, cervical spine disorder, wrist disorders, arm disorders, hip disorders, shin disorders, ankle disorders, and foot disorders are also denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20 percent effective July 1, 2018. A TDIU rating is granted effective July 1, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar strain, finding that his symptoms are at least as likely as not related to his active service.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for further development, including those for pes planus, left wrist cyst disability, gastrointestinal disability (separate from chronic constipation), cardiovascular disability, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), fatigue disability, headache disability, left knee disability, back disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and right wrist disability. The gastrointestinal claim was expanded to include any gastrointestinal disability separate from the already service-connected chronic constipation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and lumbar degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, as well as plantar fasciitis, were denied. The Veteran was not granted a higher disability rating.

The Board has denied service connection for various knee, ankle, and shoulder disorders as the evidence does not show current disabilities or a link to service.