The Veteran's low back pain with muscle spasm is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating based on incapacitating episodes or under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine is not warranted.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show any incapacitating episodes meeting the criteria for a higher rating, nor does it show limitation of motion more nearly approximating forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- low back pain with muscle spasm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069645
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20069645.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's low back pain with muscle spasm and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, while denying earlier effective dates and higher ratings for tinnitus, and remanding claims for right hand third digit laceration, insomnia disorder, and right knee disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA orthopedic examination to address range of motion and functional loss due to pain. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for her service-connected low back pain with muscle spasm is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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