Migraines & headaches decisions — 2000

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board hearing to be scheduled at the Atlanta, Georgia, RO or the Montgomery, Alabama RO.

The Board found that the veteran's current headaches and sleep paralysis were not present during service or for years thereafter, and have not been medically linked to service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury was denied.

The veteran's claims of service connection for various injuries and disabilities were denied due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded, as there was no credible evidence supporting his assertions of undiagnosed illness or other conditions related to active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, and total right knee replacement due to arthritis as secondary to the veteran's service-connected gunshot wound residuals.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic tension type headaches do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to their infrequent and non-prostrating nature.,The VA examination revealed no residual effects of the left breast fibroadenoma, leading to a finding that there is no basis for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, an increased evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder, and evaluations in excess of 10 percent and 0 percent for gunshot wound and shell fragment wounds of the knees. The total rating based on individual unemployability was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and for increased disability ratings for his migraine headaches and joint space narrowing at L5-S1. The veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service, and the initial disability ratings assigned were found to be appropriate.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected migraine headaches, as he is not considered unemployable solely because of this condition.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for a compensable evaluation for ventricular ectopy with recurrent syncope and an increased evaluation for migraine headaches, finding that the pre-1998 criteria were more favorable to her. The post-1998 criteria did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection of headaches as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus and also denied an increased rating for his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including damage to the reproductive system, ulcer, numbness in the hands, headaches, depression, skin rash, lumps on the arms, trouble sleeping, hypertension, nervous tension, and peripheral neuropathy, are not well-grounded. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service, particularly as related to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of LSD testing. The veteran's claims are based on his belief that he developed various disabilities as a result of an in-service experiment involving LSD.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current ulcer disorder, migraine headaches, and psychiatric disorders to his service. As such, the claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for migraine headaches and granted a 30 percent evaluation for flat feet. The claims for right and left knee disorders, as well as an increased evaluation for fracture of the little toe of the left foot, are addressed in the remand portion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that they were not well-grounded due to a lack of evidence supporting their diagnosis or causation.

The veteran's service-connected migraine headaches render him unemployable, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's disabilities do not permit training to begin within a reasonable period; thus, achievement of a vocational goal is infeasible at this time.

The Board found that there was no competent evidence of current impairments associated with the claimed left eye droop or headaches, thus denying these claims. The RO increased the evaluation for deflected nasal septum to 10 percent but did not grant a higher rating due to the available diagnostic codes.

The veteran's service-connected headaches are rated at a 10 percent disability level, which is granted. The Board found that the current manifestations of the appellant's headache disorder more closely approximate the criteria for a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 8100.