Fibromyalgia decisions — 2023

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions began in service.

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD, headaches and migraine headaches, hypertension, and sleep disability due to potential secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether his current disabilities are related to his service-connected conditions or if they were aggravated by them. The claims will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability. Other claims for various conditions are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spondylosis, radiculopathy of the right leg, neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. The Veteran's conditions are presumed due to service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for scar, status post TENS unit placement has been dismissed as the Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia is currently rated at 40 percent from December 11, 2019. The Board found that a higher rating was not warranted due to lack of evidence showing episodic exacerbations or refractory symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as chronic joint pain (to include fibromyalgia), finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,The Board also found insufficient evidence to grant presumptive service connection based on exposure to Southwest Asia.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, lower back disability, sleep apnea, and hypertension, all of which are found to be directly related to the Veteran's active-duty service.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia is currently rated at 40 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under VA guidelines. The Board found no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a rash was denied, and his claims for migraine headaches, CFS, fibromyalgia, neurological disability, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, and left wrist disability were remanded.,Service connection is granted for migraine headaches. The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of migraine headaches was related to his in-service surgical repair of his nasal septum.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of fibromyalgia, Sjogren's disease, prostate cancer, and Hashimoto's thyroid disease is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions. The Board finds a need for additional development including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia has been reopened and granted. The claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, eye disability, hypertension, and heart disability remain denied.

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia, finding that the condition is related to the Veteran's active duty service, particularly his exposure to sarin gas during military operations in the Middle East.

The Veteran's psychiatric condition has been rated at 70 percent, but not higher. The issue of service connection for fibromyalgia is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to withdrawal of claims for right shoulder disorder and tinnitus, and the Board found new and material evidence in favor of reopening her claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, fibromyalgia, and left shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, left ankle disability, chest pain, and right hand disability due to unresolved issues. The psychiatric disorder claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for fibromyalgia prior to February 12, 2020 is denied. The Board has also found that the Veteran's back disorder may be related to active service or INACDUTRA and remanded for further development.

The Board has not made a determination on the service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, as these issues are currently pending. The claim for traumatic brain injury is being remanded.,New evidence received since the January 2016 rating decision does not relate to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims of service connection for CFS and fibromyalgia.

The Veteran's heart condition is not related to active service or exposure to herbicide agents.,Diabetes was not shown during service, did not develop within one year of separation from service, and is not related to exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's diabetes developed more than one year after separation from service.,Arthritis is not related to active service and did not develop within one year of separation from service.,The chronic pain condition (fibromyalgia) is not related to active service and did not develop within one year of separation from service.,Left ear hearing loss was not shown during service, and the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss does not meet VA standards for a disability. The examiner opined that it is less likely than not related to an event or injury during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, DDD of the lumbar spine, and fibromyalgia have been granted effective as October 4, 2012.