The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic low back disability, including L5-S1 grade 1 anterior spondylolisthesis causing moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing, is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service and the VA examiner found that his current condition was less likely than not incurred in or caused by an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs did not contain any reference to lower back pain and he denied suffering from back pain in his September 2003 post-deployment questionnaire. The first evidence of a chronic low back disorder was in 2006, approximately three years after the Veteran's separation form service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back disability, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, L5-S1 grade 1 anterior spondylolisthesis, moderate bilateral neural foraminal narrowing
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1426247
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1426247.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence supports a link between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for additional medical evidence. The Veteran's lower back disability, including lumbar strain and spondylolisthesis, is being reviewed again.
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