Back / lumbar spine Board decisions

The Board has granted a 20% disability rating for the service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, effective from when this determination was made. The claim for increased evaluation for tension headaches remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a VA physician to provide an opinion on the likelihood of service connection for the veteran's low back disability.

The Board has ordered additional development of the veteran's claims, including obtaining treatment records from his VA Medical Center in Fayetteville. The case will be returned to the RO for further review and consideration.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder. The right knee and left knee injury claims are pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and vision loss are not well grounded. As such, these claims cannot be granted.

The Board has granted a higher disability rating of 60 percent for the veteran's low back disorder with advanced degenerative disc disease, finding that it more nearly approximates the criteria for a 60 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5293.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder and right leg disorders, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his low back disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and consideration.

The RO granted service connection for the veteran's low back injury but assigned a noncompensable evaluation. The case is now remanded to gather more medical evidence and possibly assign staged ratings.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current low back disability to his service, including a motorcycle accident in 1978. The claim is therefore denied.

The Board has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide further evidence that the appellant's psychotherapy needs, including the prescription of tranquilizers as required, are available at the Santa Fe Vet Center. The VA must also review the relevant evidence and readjudicate the claim seeking an extended fee-basis authorization.

The Board has granted service connection for a stomach disability and an increased rating for back and psychiatric disabilities. The veteran's stomach disability is found to be related to his in-service diagnosis of GERD, which he continues to experience post-service. For the back disability, the Board determined that the current 20% rating adequately reflects the moderate limitation of motion and functional loss due to pain. For the psychiatric disability, the noncompensable rating was maintained as the GAF score of 80 indicates no more than slight impairment in social functioning.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left knee, left ankle, and low back disabilities do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent. The evidence did not support higher ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain and diabetes mellitus, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that she lacked legal entitlement to accrued benefits for a period more than two years prior to the date of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected low back disability warrants a 40 percent rating, reflecting severe loss in lumbar spine range of motion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disorder and psychosis, finding that new evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen the claim for the low back condition. The Board also found that the veteran's current psychosis was not well-grounded as there was no medical evidence linking it to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional records are needed to properly adjudicate the appellant's claim for an increased evaluation of his low back disability. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's low back strain does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent, and denied his claims for increased evaluations. The right shoulder injury was evaluated at 20 percent.

The veteran's increased rating claims for various service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.