Fibromyalgia decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be related to his current diagnoses of OSA, hypertension, GERD, heart disease, and stroke. The Veteran's headaches are rated as 50% disabling throughout the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his claimed disabilities, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis and unspecified autoimmune disorder, which he contends are related to exposure to ionizing radiation at Camp Lejeune. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for disability manifested by multiple joint pain, to include fibromyalgia, finding that there is no current disability not already associated with his service-connected chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development of private treatment records. The Veteran's representative requested updated records, but no follow-up was conducted by the VA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted. The appeal is also granted for the evaluation of left shoulder tendonitis and left clavicle spur, lumbar spondylosis and osteophytosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), uterine fibroids, migraines, hypertension, residual scar from ventral hernia repair, anxiety, memory loss, sleep disturbances, knee disorder, and fibromyalgia. The appeal is remanded for further evaluations and determinations on these issues.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 40 percent effective April 30, 2019. The claim of service connection for a heart disorder has been reopened and granted due to new evidence indicating potential inservice onset. Service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and acquired psychiatric disorders are all granted on a presumptive basis.,The Veteran's right knee, left knee, left shoulder, left hand, and left wrist disorders have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew her claims at the November 2021 Board hearing.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for a visual disability as it was granted in a previous rating decision.,The Board denied the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and fibromyalgia, finding no evidence of a causal relationship to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied due to lack of objective medical evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, left and right hand disorders, left and right wrist disorders, and headache disorder (to include migraine headaches) is denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of these conditions in the record.,Service connection for TBI or residuals thereof was also denied as there were no findings or diagnoses of a head injury or related symptoms in service or post-service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 1, 2018. However, it granted TDIU from December 1, 2018.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation and rating of his left ankle disability, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The initial rating for the left ankle strain remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is being remanded due to the addition of VA treatment records since the July 2020 SSOC. The case will be reviewed again and a new Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) will be issued if necessary.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various knee, shin splint, and ankle disabilities due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate prior examinations. The case will be returned to the Board after additional evidence is obtained.

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected failed back syndrome with chronic low back pain. The rating for the other conditions remains unchanged.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, neuromuscular disability (including myasthenia gravis and fibromyalgia), and chorea with seizures and convulsions. The cases are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's fibromyalgia and considering whether it is related to service-connected depression with anxiety.

The Veteran's son J.W-H. is recognized as a helpless child of the Veteran due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 years, but further evidence is needed regarding other service connection claims and TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia/joint pain, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for an increased disability rating and TDIU prior to February 12, 2020 have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal through his authorized representative.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further development.