Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board found no evidence of a current back disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any current skin rash, bilateral ear disorder (to include hearing loss), bilateral foot disorder, low back disorder, or bilateral shoulder and hand disorders. The claims are denied.

The VA reduced the veteran's disability rating for mechanical low back pain from 40% to 10%, effective May 1, 1997. The reduction was upheld as the current evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetic nephropathy, which is evaluated as 80 percent disabling. The veteran's hypertension is related to his service-connected diabetic nephropathy and thus service connection is also granted on a secondary basis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and liver damage due to substance abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a causal link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability, which preexisted active service, did not undergo a permanent worsening during either of his periods of active duty. Therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a chronic acquired low back disorder linked to active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for headaches, a back disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The appeals were not successful.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's service-connected left knee disability caused or aggravated her nonservice-connected back condition. The RO is instructed to arrange for a VA examination and obtain additional medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypercholesterolemia, chronic conjunctivitis, impaired vision, a back disorder, broken ribs, hypertension, and condyloma accuminata. The decision also granted an increased evaluation of sinusitis from February 18, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including low back pain with degenerative arthritis, arthritis of the right knee, medial collateral ligament strain of the left knee, residuals of resection of the left clavicle, residuals of a left lung resection with history of sarcoidosis, duodenal ulcer, and hemorrhoids.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disorder is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination under both old and new rating criteria for spine disorders. The case will be returned to the Board for further consideration.

The Board found no current left leg disability and denied service connection. The back issue is remanded for further examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected left leg disability and a TDIU, as well as his claim for service connection for a left hip disorder. The RO must obtain additional medical records and provide the veteran with proper VCAA notice.

The Board found new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for back disability, but did not address whether the original denial was due to CUE.

The Board found that the veteran's claim of service connection for back disability was not reopened due to lack of material evidence, despite new medical records and statements from the veteran.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is being remanded for further development, including consideration of his low back disorder and the applicability of recent revisions to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease and an increased rating for low back disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's low back disorder is not related to his service-connected knee disability and denied the claim.