Fibromyalgia decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and obstructive sleep apnea need further examination to determine if there is a link between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarification of the Veteran's lumbar osteoarthritis and its relation to active duty or inactive duty training.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergies has been reopened and granted. The claims for headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, muscle pain, and fibromyalgia are remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and skin rash as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness due to presumed environmental exposures during his service in Southwest Asia. The claims are being remanded to reschedule the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for erectile dysfunction disorder, left knee disability, and fibromyalgia have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,There are no diagnoses of left knee disability or fibromyalgia in the record.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a neurological pain disorder (claimed as fibromyalgia), tooth grinding disorder, and tooth loss were remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including lymphadenopathy, right shoulder disorder, arthritis, right wrist disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, and tinnitus. The Veteran's period of service is noted to be during a period of INACDUTRA, which does not allow for service connection.

The Veteran's thoracic spine disorder, cervicalgia, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhinitis, sleep apnea, hypertension, esophageal reflux, and anemia are all found to be related to service. The Veteran is also seeking increased ratings for his bilateral knees and hearing loss, which require further examination and evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability, diffuse joint and muscle pain, and hypertension has been reopened. The Board finds that the evidence submitted since the September 2009 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating her claims. However, further examination is needed to determine the etiology of her lumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is granted as service-connected due to her motor vehicle accident during active duty for training. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder claim is denied. A 20% disability rating is granted for cervical strain effective from March 10, 2019.,There are no current diagnoses of a mental disorder and with such probative evidence of a disability, service connection cannot be granted.

Service connection is granted for fibromyalgia and hypertension secondary to PTSD.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia is related to his service in the Gulf War, and his hypertension is proximately caused by his PTSD.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is granted an initial 20 percent rating, while other conditions remain at their current ratings.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for narcolepsy due to new and material evidence. The claims for fibromyalgia and right trigeminal nerve sensory disorder are still pending, with remand required for additional development.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims of service connection for PTSD, fibromyalgia, back disability, sleep apnea, and migraine headaches is granted. The cases are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for fibromyalgia and found that new evidence supports a diagnosis, but denied service connection due to lack of medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including those for psychiatric disabilities and gout. The remaining issues are also being remanded.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia disability was granted a 40 percent rating throughout the appeal period, with symptoms described as constant or nearly constant and refractory to therapy.

The Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, right ear hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, GERD, memory loss (claimed as dementia), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, hair loss, hypertension, bladder disability, and gout are all remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing VA examinations and failure to report. The issues include service connection for various conditions, including fibromyalgia, lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hip disorder, enlarged lymph node in the groin region, bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral foot disorder, and psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple conditions, including fibromyalgia (claimed as multiple joint aches), memory loss, migraines, and lumbar spine disability are granted. The remaining issues on appeal remain pending.