The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, including low back strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, and mechanical back pain. Secondary service connection is also granted for radiculopathy and nerve impairment of the bilateral lower extremities affecting the legs, hips, and buttocks as related to the service-connected low back disability.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions consistently found a link between the Veteran's current low back condition and her military service, including her duties as a military police officer. The radiculopathy and nerve impairment of the lower extremities were also found to be secondary to the service-connected low back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, mechanical back pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801378
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 1801378.
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's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on either incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection back disorder, as due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE), was dismissed because the appeal request was not timely filed.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for left knee patellar femoral syndrome, right knee patellar femoral syndrome, low back strain, and right hip bursitis.
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