The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbar spine is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination that did not discount the beneficial effects of the Veteran's pain medications on his disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examination was inadequate as it did not address how the Veteran's use of Ibuprofen, or any other medications he takes, may affect the severity of his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26010125
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 A26010125.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbar spine was granted a disability rating of 40 percent, effective May 23, 2017.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic back condition in service or continuous symptoms since service. The claimant is not entitled to a TDIU as well.
- Denied
The Veteran's low back disability is currently rated as 40 percent from September 26, 2012 to December 20, 2022.,A higher evaluation in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's low back disability from December 20, 2022 is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a 30 percent rating for the entire appeal period, and his right foot condition is denied service connection.
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