Fibromyalgia
Across 757 real Board appeals for Fibromyalgia
66% were granted, partly granted, or remanded.
A denial is often not the end — remands are sent back for more development and frequently end in a grant.
- Granted 13%
- Partly granted 31%
- Remanded 22%
- Denied 25%
What tends to win
Among the appeals that were granted or partly granted, the most common ways Fibromyalgia was linked to service:
- Direct service connection213
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)31
- Secondary to another service-connected condition27
How it’s rated, in practice
When Fibromyalgia was granted, the rating most often assigned was:
- 100% (47)
- 40% (28)
- 70% (12)
- 50% (11)
- 30% (10)
Presumptive & exposure paths
These appeals involved a recognized exposure — which can mean the link to service is presumed, with no nexus to prove:
- Gulf War48
- PACT Act35
- Agent Orange / herbicides6
- Burn pits & airborne hazards6
- Camp Lejeune water4
Real decisions
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of September 14, 2017 for the award of service connection for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as a rating of 30 percent for irritable bowel disorder from that date.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for fibromyalgia, as the Veteran's symptoms were constant or nearly constant and refractory to therapy.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and for joint pain, claimed as fibromyalgia symptoms, due to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral lower extremities peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities peripheral neuropathy, and fibromyalgia based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active service.
- Granted
The Board granted a higher initial rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's tension type headaches with fibromyalgia, effective from August 29, 2014, and also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from the same date.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 24, 2012, to September 26, 2012.
What you can do next
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.