The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders, including arthritis, strain, spondylolisthesis, DJD, DDD, radiculopathy, and a total rating for convalescence based on cervical spine surgery. The issues are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact of adjudicating one claim on another.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an addendum opinion is necessary as the VA examiners' opinions were based solely on the lack of documented complaints and treatment during service, without considering the Veteran's statements regarding onset of symptoms during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorders, cervical spine disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22004133
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 22004133.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a neck injury, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current neck disability and his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate VA examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, cervical spine disorders, lumbar spine disorders, and peripheral neuropathy do not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claimed conditions, as the VA examiner did not adequately address whether he has a qualifying chronic disability or medically unexplained multisymptom illness.
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