Back / lumbar spine — all decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various conditions, except for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an effective date of August 4, 2013.

The Board denied service connection for a gastrointestinal condition and denied an increased rating for lumbar discopathy with degenerative joint disease.

The Board denied higher ratings for left shoulder arthralgia and lumbar spine degenerative arthritis with DDD, granted service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the lumbar spine disability, and remanded claims for increased ratings of other musculoskeletal conditions.

The Board granted a 40 percent initial rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, but denied a temporary total disability rating subsequent to spinal cord stimulator implantation.

The Board granted the petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability, while denying service connection for lower back, kidney, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right ankle pain, lumbar spine pain, left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, left knee pain, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for multiple musculoskeletal disabilities, including the left and right shoulders, ankles, knees, elbow, and low back, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or treatment related to these conditions.

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 100 percent for ulcerative colitis and denied increased ratings for lumbar paraspinal tendonitis, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and sciatica of both lower extremities, to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected foot and knee disabilities, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraines was granted, effective July 1, 2022. The claims for service connection for various conditions were either denied or remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine, groin muscle injury, to include scrotum disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors in prior VA examinations.

The Board granted initial ratings of 70 percent for a psychiatric disability, 40 percent for a low back disability, and 20 percent each for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy involving the sciatic nerve and femoral nerve. The claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome was denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine, left hip, right hip, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding notification of examination.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, as there is no current disability. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board granted service connection for dextroconvex curvature and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as well as bilateral foot/toe pain secondary to service-connected gout. However, it denied higher initial ratings for left and right knee gout.

The Board granted service connection for cervical strain, lower back disability, and left shoulder disability based on evidence of in-service incurrence and continuity of symptomatology.

The Board remands the claim for a back disability to schedule an examination and obtain a medical opinion on its etiology.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his active service and has continued since.

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.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for revision of the May 1984 administrative decision and rating decision, which determined that injuries incurred in August 1982 were the result of willful misconduct, on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).