Back / lumbar spine — all decisions

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left hand/finger disability, and right foot/ankle disability based on the Veteran's credible reports of continuous symptoms since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted an earlier effective date for a lumbar spine surgical scar.

The Board granted service connection for a low back disability but denied service connection for right toe gout and migraines.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to follow and secure substantially gainful employment, thus a total disability rating for individual unemployability is granted.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board remands the issues of increased rating for back disability, service connection for sleep apnea, left heel, and hemorrhoids, as well as entitlement to a TDIU prior to August 1, 2025, for additional development.

The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability with radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, a cervical spine disability with radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and migraine headaches, all to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The claims for a left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and right hip disability were denied.

The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for sinus disability, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, skin disability, back disability, bilateral neurological disability of the upper extremities, and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities.

The Board denied service connection for mechanical low back disorder, a neck condition, and muscle spasms of the thoracolumbar spine as they are not secondary to any service-connected disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD with generalized anxiety disorder and granted service connection for migraine headaches, a low back disability, and a right shoulder disability. The claims for an eating disorder and hyperemesis gravidarum were denied.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's lumbar spine disorder, left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve disorders, polycythemia vera, and hand and finger disorders as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, continuity of symptomatology, or a nexus to service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection as it needs additional evidence and a medical examination to properly evaluate them.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 20, 2018, for the award of service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (r)(2) level due to his service-connected disabilities requiring a higher level of care.

The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, prostate disability, and kidney cancer due to inadequate medical opinions and potential outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for a bowel condition and remanded claims for allergies, migraine headaches, low back condition, right hip condition, left hip condition, GERD, right knee condition, and left knee condition.