Fibromyalgia decisions — 2000

The veteran's fibromyalgia and gastroesophageal reflux disorder with hiatal hernia status post cholecystectomy have been granted service connection, but are currently rated at the minimum (10%) level.

The Board has granted a 20% evaluation for fibromyalgia of both legs, effective from the date of the decision. The veteran's cystic lesion on her chin is not currently being evaluated by the RO.

The Board has granted the veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for fibromyalgia and assigned a 10 percent disability rating for allergic rhinitis. The appeal is resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a laminectomy of L5 and remanded her claim for service connection for fibromyalgia and pubococcygeal spasms, which she claimed were secondary to her service-connected condition.

The Board found that the veteran's joint pain is attributable to known clinical diagnoses including fibromyalgia syndrome, right-sided rotator cuff syndrome and left-sided trochanteric bursitis with carpal tunnel syndrome. The claim of service connection for undiagnosed illness following service in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during the Persian Gulf War was granted. However, the initial compensable evaluation for residuals of a laceration of the right ring finger was denied.

The veteran's memory loss and attention problems, skin disorders, swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, fatigue, and joint pain are all found to be related to an undiagnosed illness during his Gulf War service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and unclear claims, requiring further development including locating possible service medical records from NSA.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his lumbar and cervical strains, as well as an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for fibromyalgia. The effective date for a 40 percent evaluation for fibromyalgia was set at April 16, 1989.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, atypical rheumatic syndrome, and somatization disorder, which she claimed was related to her in-service bilateral breast implants.

The Board has determined that the veteran's fibromyalgia warrants a 40 percent rating, which is the highest evaluation allowed under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board found no evidence of fibromyalgia during service and insufficient medical evidence to link the condition to military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, finding that there was no credible evidence to support the veteran's claim. The claim was not well-grounded.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the appellant's thoracic spine disability and fibromyalgia, with the initial rating of 20 percent maintained.

The Board finds that the veteran's claim of service connection for fibromyalgia is well-grounded. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and an eye disability are not well-grounded.

The veteran's multiple disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes based on his service-connected conditions, as they are not of sufficient severity to render him permanently unemployable.

The Board has granted service connection for dermatitis, but denied the veteran's claims for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (to include as due to an undiagnosed illness), and post-traumatic stress disorder. The effective date of service connection for dermatitis is set at April 7, 1997.

The Board determined that the veteran's fibromyalgia did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as her symptoms were not present more than one-third of the time and she required continuous medication only when needed.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia and joint pain as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness, and also denied secondary service connection for depression.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded and denied them.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia, but granted a 10% evaluation for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.