Fibromyalgia decisions — 2007

The veteran's claimed conditions are not shown to be related to his military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The veteran's claims are being remanded for additional examination and review of her service connection claims, including the potential aggravation of pre-existing conditions during active duty training.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and fibromyalgia. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.,For the remaining issues, including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and left leg CRPS, additional medical examination and opinion are needed to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma and fibromyalgia were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service or National Guard service. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia (including as secondary to service-connected Raynaud's disease), and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence supporting the occurrence of in-service stressors.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claim that his fibromyalgia and arthritis are related to service-connected PTSD. The VA examinations did not find a causal relationship between the veteran's current conditions and his service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of service connection for fibromyalgia was denied as there was no prior informal or formal claim filed before September 16, 2003. The decision is based on the interpretation of the law and not on new evidence.

The veteran's appeal involves claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the right wrist and ankle, as well as a TDIU claim. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, fatigue, heart disorder, and sleep apnea as secondary to undiagnosed illness. The appeals were also not successful in reopening previously denied claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current diagnoses of back pain, chronic myofascial syndrome, and fibromyalgia are related to her military service, specifically a strain injury in January 1985. The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether this condition is also related to an incident in August 1981 during active duty for training (ADT). As such, the claim has been granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions as due to an undiagnosed illness are denied. The Board finds that the veteran did not serve in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during the Persian Gulf War, and therefore, the presumption of service connection based on undiagnosed illnesses does not apply.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for depression, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and fibromyalgia have been denied. The RO has assigned the maximum schedular ratings for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and ear infections, but denied service connection for fibromyalgia.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a VA examination to clarify the nature of the veteran's muscle spasms.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, and cervicalgia as these conditions are not related to her active duty service or her service-connected left shoulder disability.

The veteran's IBS is presumed to have been incurred in service and he is granted a 10 percent rating for this condition. The veteran's bilateral pes planus with Morton's neuroma is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum allowed under VA regulations. His right shoulder disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including fibromyalgia and depression, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The veteran's current diagnoses are considered to be related to his pre-service symptoms.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for joint and muscle pain, including as due to an undiagnosed illness, and for evaluation of left ankle ligament strain. The veteran's left ankle condition is currently rated at 10 percent disabling.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a video conference hearing at the North Little Rock RO. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including sending notice of the VCAA and obtaining medical records. The veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia, a compensable rating for IBS, and a rating for maxillary sinusitis are pending.