The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome and chronic low back pain, but remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.,The VA examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s current diagnoses are at least as likely as not related to his in-service complaints and treatment.
The deciding factor: The Board has reopened the claims based on new evidence, but remanded for further medical opinions due to inadequate previous examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"intervertebral disc syndrome","claimed_conditions":["cervical spine disc protrusion","pinch nerve in neck","cervicalgia with myofascial pain","right trapezius right shoulder/neck pain"]}, {"condition_name":"chronic low back pain","claimed_conditions":["low back pain"]}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107173
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myasthenia gravis based on the Veteran's exposure to hazardous substances during his military service.
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