BVA decisions by condition
Lumbosacral strain: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a lumbosacral strain issue in 3,493 decisions. It granted the lumbosacral strain issue in 28.2% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 35.8%, and remanded it in 35.6%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 44.0% were granted.
From Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions: appeals, not VA's first decisions. Issue-level outcomes.
Decisions
3,493
2017–2026
Granted
28.2%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
44.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
35.6%
Denied: 35.8%
At a glance
Evidence in granted and denied lumbosacral strain decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the lumbosacral strain issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 691 | 75.3% | 33.6% | +41.7 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 565 | 63.1% | 39.1% | +24.0 pts |
| Buddy statement | 127 | 64.4% | 43.2% | +21.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,056 | 56.5% | 37.2% | +19.3 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 155 | 58.6% | 43.2% | +15.4 pts |
| Combat service | 209 | 57.7% | 43.1% | +14.5 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 247 | 56.9% | 43.2% | +13.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,092 | 43.4% | 51.4% | −8.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 72.7% of the decisions that granted lumbosacral strain.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 45.9% of grants and 13.8% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often lumbosacral strain was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 2,019 | 46.6% | 40.6% | +6.0 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,033 | 42.1% | 62.1% | −20.0 pts |
Recent lumbosacral strain decisions
Granted
Favorable finding of current disability by AOJ; Lay statements of onset in service corroborated by STRs; VA examiner's opinion against service connection was inadequately reasoned; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor
Service treatment records show in-service complaints of low back pain.; VA examinations were inadequate for failing to address pertinent evidence and provide adequate rationale.; Private medical specialist provided positive nexus opinion linking condition to service.; Veteran and service member lay statements are credible and probative.
Evidence of onset of back pain in service in 2005; Chronicity of symptoms noted in service treatment records; Favorable post-service treatment records indicating onset five years prior; Inaccurate VA examination due to failure to consider all evidence
Denied
March 2025 VA exam showed flexion limited to 80 degrees, combined ROM to 215 degrees.; Examiner noted localized tenderness but no abnormal gait or spinal contour.; Board found evidence did not meet criteria for >10% rating.
Inconsistent lay statements regarding symptoms; Lack of contemporaneous service treatment record findings; VA examiner opined less likely than not related to service
Current diagnosis confirmed by VA examinations.; STRs silent for low back complaints; denied recurrence.; Negative nexus opinions from VA examiners citing lack of chronicity and post-service etiology.; Board afforded low probative value to some opinions for failing to consider lay statements.
Lumbosacral strain outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 79 | 15.2% | 41.8% | 40.5% | 2.5% |
| 2018 | 104 | 23.1% | 42.3% | 29.8% | 4.8% |
| 2019 | 243 | 20.2% | 41.2% | 36.2% | 2.5% |
| 2020 | 331 | 23.6% | 43.5% | 30.5% | 2.4% |
| 2021 | 379 | 23.0% | 44.6% | 29.0% | 3.4% |
| 2022 | 332 | 25.3% | 36.4% | 35.2% | 3.0% |
| 2023 | 392 | 27.8% | 34.2% | 35.5% | 2.6% |
| 2024 | 594 | 30.8% | 33.7% | 34.2% | 1.3% |
| 2025 | 874 | 29.5% | 30.4% | 37.5% | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 310 | 37.1% | 26.8% | 33.9% | 2.3% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Why the Board granted or denied lumbosacral strain
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established162
- Continuity of symptomatology since service19
- Caused by the service-connected disability18
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service7
- Criteria for service connection met6
- Evidence evenly balanced6
- In-service injury documented6
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability5
Most common reasons in denials
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service142
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim119
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis62
- Service records negative or silent49
- Current diagnosis established47
- No current diagnosis15
- Continuity of symptomatology since service14
- No continuity of symptomatology14
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Nexus and exam opinions track lumbosacral strain grant rates
Among lumbosacral strain decisions reached on the merits, a positive nexus opinion lines up with a grant rate of 75.3%, against 33.6% without one.
Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) documentation
The data does not tag DBQ forms by name. It does tag VA exam findings, the closest measure available. Across 3,493 decisions, the Board granted 28.2%, above the 19.4% rate for all conditions. On the merits alone, the grant rate was 44.0%.
A favorable VA exam appeared in 565 merits decisions. Those were granted at 63.1%, versus 39.1% without one. An unfavorable VA exam was far more common, in 3,033 decisions. Its grant rate was 42.1%, versus 62.1% without it.
Outside opinions show a similar gap. A private opinion appeared in 1,056 decisions, granted at 56.5% versus 37.2%. A treating physician opinion was rarer, in 155 decisions, granted at 58.6% versus 43.2%. The data does not show why these opinions line up with higher grant rates.
Favorable VA exam
Unfavorable VA exam
Private opinion
Treating physician opinion
Decisions reached on the merits only. Associations, not causes.
The top denial reason was a VA examiner finding the condition less likely than not related to service, cited in 142 denials.
Secondary service connection and radiculopathy
The data has no radiculopathy tag, so it cannot speak to that pairing. It does count secondary grants. Only 18 grants cited a condition caused by a service-connected disability. That compares with 162 citing an established current diagnosis and 19 citing continuity since service.
Nexus evidence matters here. A positive nexus opinion appeared in 691 merits decisions. A negative one appeared in 2,019, yet those were granted at 46.6%, versus 40.6% without one. The data does not show why a negative opinion did not track lower grants.
Positive nexus opinion
Negative nexus opinion
Decisions reached on the merits only. Associations, not causes.
The benefit of the doubt appeared in 72.7% of grants. Still, 26 denials discussed equipoise, while only 6 grants named evenly balanced evidence as the reason.
Figures from the research data as of Oct 19, 2026. Every number is computed from the data, which is extracted by AI from public decisions and can contain errors.
Rules that apply to lumbosacral strain claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your lumbosacral strain case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a lumbosacral strain issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.
Where this data comes from
- Claim
- Regional office decides
- Veteran appeals
- Board decides
- Granted · Denied · Remanded: back to the regional office
Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions show how VA's highest review body applies 38 CFR and weighs evidence on contested claims.
Each one is an appeal: a regional office decided the claim first, and the veteran appealed. So these rates describe the Board, not a veteran's odds at the regional office, where most claims are decided and whose decisions are not public.
More on what Board decisions can and cannot tell you