Fibromyalgia decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran was granted a separate 30 percent disability rating for limitation of left knee extension, effective from August 2007 onward. The claims for increased ratings for the left knee and for service connection for PTSD and fibromyalgia were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, finding no evidence linking it to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, fibromyalgia, IBS, cholecystectomy, migraines, right knee injury, tinnitus, and other conditions, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to January 10, 2005.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder, headaches, sleep disorder, and fibromyalgia with musculoskeletal pain as they were not linked to active military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for a back condition, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the previously denied claims.

The veteran's service-connected varicose veins, fibromyalgia of the left hip, right knee, right shoulder, and both hands, lumbosacral spine strain, and bilateral pes cavus were evaluated. The Board found that an initial 10 percent disability rating for each extremity was warranted for the veteran's bilateral varicose veins from the time period beginning with the grant of original service connection.

The veteran's bullous emphysema is service-connected due to exposure to oil and fumes during the Gulf War, but new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen a claim for headaches.

The Board denied service connection for TMJ, GERD, fibromyalgia, a left knee disorder, and a left foot disorder as they were not related to active military service or to the veteran's service-connected major depression.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for left leg/ankle swelling was withdrawn. The remaining claims were denied as there is no medical evidence of a causal link between the claimed conditions and any incident of service.

The veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent, and an increased evaluation was not warranted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome were denied as the competent and probative evidence did not show that these conditions are of service origin or due to undiagnosed illness.

The appeal has been remanded to schedule a video hearing for the veteran.

The Board REMANDS the claims to the RO for further development and readjudication.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left ear high frequency hearing loss was denied, as well as the claim for service connection for fibromyalgia.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia as there was no evidence of a diagnosis during active service, and no competent medical opinion establishing a nexus between current disability and events during active service.

The Board remands the claims for further development, as additional evidence and clarification are needed to properly adjudicate these issues.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to July 16, 2006, and increased to 50 percent from that date due to symptoms of depressed mood, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks, startle response, hypervigilence, and difficulty establishing effective work and social relationships.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence supports a grant of service connection for fibromyalgia, as it is related to the veteran's active service.

The veteran's irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome were not related to service, to include alleged exposure to Agent Orange, or to a service-connected disorder.