Migraines & headaches decisions — 2000

The veteran's headaches are rated at 10 percent, but the Board found that there were no prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months. Therefore, the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are well-grounded and have been granted. The conditions of sinusitis, left knee disorder, residuals of costochondritis (claimed as thoracic/low back pain), headaches, chest pain, fatigue, and memory loss are all considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, low back disability, residuals of a head injury, residuals of a neck injury, and visual disability are not well grounded.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current left shoulder disability or migraine headaches to military service, and thus denied his claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist scar is well grounded. The VA duty to assist the veteran includes obtaining all relevant records, including reports of his recent treatment at the VA medical facility in Albany, New York.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a psychiatric disability other than PTSD, right ear hearing loss, gastritis, and muscle tension/migraine headaches have not been well grounded. The claim for low back sprain has been granted with a 20% rating, while the claim for right knee disability has been granted with a 10% rating.

The veteran's nicotine dependence and acquired psychiatric disorder (depression and anxiety) are found to be related to his service-connected coronary arteriosclerosis. His bronchitis is not currently shown, but he has been granted service connection for arthritis of the right index finger. The other claims have either been denied or require further development.

The veteran is seeking service connection for migraine headaches as a separate condition from her already service-connected fibromyalgia. The case must be remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical evidence and determining if the veteran desires an in-person hearing.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected head injury with residual headaches and tinnitus, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for recurrent headaches, as residual disability of a depressed skull fracture, status post craniotomy.

The Board denied reopening the claim for migraine headaches, but granted increased ratings of 10% for both low back disability and left foot disability. The veteran's testimony regarding his disabilities was considered in determining these decisions.

The Board has granted an initial 50 percent rating for the service-connected headaches, effective January 24, 1994. The veteran's headaches have been shown to be very frequent and prostrating.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for service connection for residuals of right hand laceration is well-grounded and granted. The claims for service connection for sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches are not well grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's migraine headaches were aggravated during service, and peptic ulcer disease was not incurred in or related to service. The claim for migraine headaches is granted, while the claim for peptic ulcer disease remains denied.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation of 30 percent for the service-connected right knee disorder, effective from April 1997. The veteran's bilateral foot and headache conditions are not found to be related to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, sinus headaches, tinnitus, chronic otitis media, a nasal deformity and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The claims for increased ratings for the left and right knee disabilities are also denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, headaches, and tinnitus were denied as there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found no evidence of a current migraine headache disability and concluded that the veteran's headaches existed prior to service, with no increase in severity during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the veteran's skin condition, including fatty tumors, and disorder manifested by headaches and dizziness are not well grounded as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to an incident of service. The claim for a back disorder was found to be well grounded due to treatment in 1982 after a fall from a truck while on active duty for training.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for pinched nerve of the left shoulder and headaches are not well grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence showing current disabilities or a link to service.