Back / lumbar spine — all decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including plantar fasciitis of both feet, a low back disability, a left ankle disability, meniscus tears in both knees, and hip disabilities, as additional development is necessary to obtain adequate medical opinions.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining claims were remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board is remanding the appeal for a new VA examination to address the current nature and severity of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain due to an internally inconsistent November 2020 VA examination report.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back disability, bilateral achilles tendonitis, gout, diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DMII), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression. The Board denied increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative joint disease, separate ratings for instability of the knees, a separate rating for residuals of a right knee meniscectomy, and service connection for bilateral leg pain, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic sinus disability, respiratory disability due to exposure to asbestos, heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, and seizures.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, and spinal stenosis based on the Veteran's in-service back injury and chronicity of symptoms.

The Board denied several claims for increased ratings and service connection, but granted some reductions in rating that were improperly made.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 40 percent for chronic degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine was dismissed due to an erroneous docketing by the Board.

The Board remands the claims for a higher rating for various conditions, including lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathies, due to an incomplete record of private treatment records.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to address duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding treatment records and scheduling a new medical examination.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent from May 11, 2017 prior to February 29, 2024, and in excess of 40 percent from February 29, 2024 for a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's disabilities from May 7, 2013, to August 5, 2019.

The Board remands the claim for a low back disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion that considers the Veteran's lay statements and in-service treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, headaches, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy. It also dismissed the claims for higher ratings of reactive airway disease, allergic rhinitis, and PTSD, denied service connection for CFS and TBI, and granted a 30% rating for IBS.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded the claims for back, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities for readjudication with new evidence.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for service connection for a low back condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition.

The appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to address the current severity of the Veteran's spondylolisthesis and ensure compliance with previous Board instructions.

The Board denied service connection for neck, shoulder, low back, hip, headache, and tinnitus disabilities as there was insufficient evidence of a present disability or functional impairment related to the claimed conditions during or proximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Board granted a 30 percent initial disability rating for the removal of the uterus due to cervical dysplasia and awarded special monthly compensation based on anatomical loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board granted restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar strain, effective November 25, 2024, and denied an increased rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbar degenerative disc disease, left and right knee strain with tendinitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The TDIU claim was dismissed.