Fibromyalgia Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, right foot disability, left shoulder disability, and acquired psychiatric disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted, as his combined disability rating is at least 60% since November 30, 2006. The Board found that the multiple service-connected disabilities (PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus) are treated as a single disability rated at 60%. The Veteran's PTSD has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied reopening of claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, with the exception of a reopened claim for left foot condition. The bilateral knee disability and other issues remain denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and testing related to a potential diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fibromyalgia is related to her military service and has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar strain remains under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's fibromyalgia and chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome are caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, specifically PTSD and sleep apnea.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is also found to be caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to her death, and the Board's December 1, 2016 remand is vacated.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for compartmental exhaustion syndrome of the bilateral ankles, bacterial vaginosis, tingling and numbness of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, fibromyalgia, and obesity. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected back disability, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or right ankle and bilateral leg disabilities. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a right ankle disability, residuals of low back injury, right lower extremity sciatica, sinusitis, rhinitis, IBS, and GERD. The decision also addressed reopening of his claim for service connection for asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and fibromyalgia, did not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to July 19, 2013.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for fibromyalgia. The previously denied claim is therefore not reopened.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have fibromyalgia, tinnitus, or bilateral hearing loss. For PTSD, the rating assigned is 50 percent prior to February 25, 2017, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter, which means the claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD has been reopened and is currently rated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for a TDIU.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, IBS, lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes, chondromalacia of the left knee, tinnitus) preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA opinion regarding whether fibromyalgia is related to service, including muscle pains in service. The Veteran's representative also requested an opinion from a specialist physician, preferably a rheumatologist.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, which is considered a direct service connection case due to his active duty in the Persian Gulf. His disability manifests to at least a 10% level and he meets the criteria for presumptive service connection under VA regulations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal for service connection for GERD. The issue of service connection for fibromyalgia, formerly claimed as osteopenia and due to Gulf War syndrome, is dismissed as it was resolved by a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia has been granted service connection as a qualifying chronic disability due to an undiagnosed illness under the provisions for Persian Gulf veterans. The claim for an undiagnosed illness is pending and will be addressed in the remand portion of this decision.