The Board has granted a 40% rating for the Veteran's low back strain, effective from September 15, 2005. The Veteran is also service-connected for bladder incontinence and bowel incontinence as secondary to his spine disability.
The deciding factor: The November 2014 VA examination report provided evidence of significant limitation of motion of the lumbar spine, warranting a 40% rating under Diagnostic Code 5237. The Veteran's service-connected bladder and bowel incontinence were also found to be secondary to his spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Strain, Bladder Incontinence, Bowel Incontinence
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- December 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1647053
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 1647053.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted earlier effective dates of April 1, 2016 for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance, loss of use of both feet, and under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) and (r)(1).,These awards are in full grant of the benefit sought as the Veteran's attorney explicitly requested an effective date in April 2016.
- Denied
The Veteran's prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction is rated at 20 percent, and a separate 10 percent rating for bowel incontinence is granted. The Veteran's prostate cancer symptoms do not warrant an increased rating, but his bowel incontinence is found to be consistent with the criteria for a 10 percent rating.
- Granted
The Veteran is found to be eligible for enrollment in the PCAFC program due to his severe and complex medical conditions, which require personal care services.
- Granted
The Board has granted a rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected low back strain with degenerative arthritis, effective from September 26, 2008. The decision is based on functional limitation equivalent to forward flexion limited to 30 degrees or less due to pain and other symptoms.
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