The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for cervical spine and low back disabilities to obtain additional medical opinions addressing functional loss during flareups and with repeated use over time.
The deciding factor: The October 2024 opinion is not adequate regarding flareups or use over time for either the Veteran's back or neck disabilities, as it did not provide specific range of motion measurements during these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine degenerative disc disease and spondylosis, low back strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2025
- Citation
- 25004651
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraines, including migraine variants, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and granted a TDIU rating on an accrued basis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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