The Board remands the issue of a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome to obtain additional evidence and address the ameliorative effects of medication.
The deciding factor: A remand is needed to assess the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability without the ameliorative effects of medication, as these diagnostic codes do not explicitly contemplate such use.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2025
- Citation
- 25007404
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.
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