The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent for the period prior to October 1, 2010.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no additional loss of motion due to flare-ups and provided an estimate based on the findings at the December 2008 examination and the Veteran's lay reports. The resulting motion on forward flexion was still within the range for a 10 percent rating, as his adjusted ROM values were greater than 0 to 60 degrees on forward flexion.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22013778
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 22013778.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including the one for an increased rating for low back strain.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and missed VA examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being returned to the RO for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
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