The Board granted service connection for the veteran's upper back strain, which was diagnosed and treated during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran's current upper back strain symptoms stem from the same upper back strain that was directly incurred in service.
- Claimed conditions
- upper back strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25005455
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 A25005455.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The issues include upper back strain, tinnitus, and a headache disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for her service-connected upper back strain (also claimed as a neck condition) is being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need to consider functional loss during flare-ups.
- Denied
The Veteran's upper back/neck disability is currently rated as zero percent disabling, reflecting no more than objective observation of forward flexion of the cervical spine at 45 degrees and a combined range of motion of 340 degrees. The current rating does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.
- Denied
The Veteran's upper back and left shoulder pain have been evaluated as service-connected conditions, but the VA has determined that they do not warrant a higher initial evaluation.
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