Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear medical history and need for further review by a VA specialist.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions as a result of his military service. Service connection is denied for all issues raised in this appeal.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar myofascial pain as there is no current evidence of a disability and the veteran's complaints are not supported by medical findings.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for chronic low back pain with degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the left knee are being remanded to allow for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has granted a rating of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability, right knee disability, and low back disability. The effective date is not specified.

The veteran's multiple chronic conditions, not related to his service, require the regular aid and attendance of another person. His effective date for special monthly pension benefits is set at January 31, 2001.

The veteran's cervical spine disability is service-connected, and his PTSD is rated at 30 percent. The other issues are addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for eczematoid dermatitis and chronic lumbosacral strain, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, have been granted. The effective date for the TDIU is August 5, 2000.

The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection of a back disorder, but denied the claim on the merits.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for right shoulder impingement syndrome and bicipital tendonitis, bilateral plantar fasciitis, myofascial lumbar paraspinal muscle pain, residuals of a right fifth toe fracture (status post arthroplasty), and breast disease (status post left breast lumpectomy times three).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, as well as his claim for a low back disability. The appeal was also denied regarding basic eligibility for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a discharge upgrade and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant's right shoulder degenerative joint disease is service-connected, but his left knee and back conditions are not.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions, including whether they are related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic low back pain with slight narrowing of L5-S1, a bilateral leg condition, and bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for chronic low back pain with slight narrowing of L5-S1. The Board also found that there is no current evidence of a bilateral leg disability or bilateral hearing loss.,The veteran's claims were denied because the preponderance of the evidence did not support the existence of these conditions.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including a new medical examination and MRI scan to evaluate all current impairment associated with the service-connected mechanical low back pain disability. The appellant's intent regarding any newly-raised claims should also be clarified.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with spina bifida occulta and for bilateral pes planus. The claim for bilateral pes planus was also denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen it.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the RO denying his claims for increased ratings and temporary total ratings. The diabetes mellitus claim remains pending.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disorder did not begin during service and was not caused by any incident of service, including exposure to extreme cold temperatures. The claim for service connection is denied.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a low back disorder is being remanded due to the need to adjudicate whether the October 1997 rating decision involved clear and unmistakable error (CUE).