The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and myofascitis, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (claimed as bulging disc C3-C4 and C5-C6), an increased rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and allergic rhinitis. The Board also denied earlier effective dates for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a connection between the Veteran's current back pain and diagnoses and his military service, nor was there sufficient evidence to establish that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine began in or was caused by an incident during service. The Board found the preponderance of the evidence against these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Lumbosacral strain and myofascitis, Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (claimed as bulging disc C3-C4 and C5-C6), Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Bilateral hearing loss, Headaches, Allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25034229
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 23% (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 A25034229.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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