Migraines & headaches decisions — 2002

The Board found that the veteran's headaches, low back disability, and syphilis were not related to service. The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding of residuals from head injuries or syphilis in service.

The veteran's post-traumatic headaches are rated at 10 percent, but she failed to report for a VA examination related to her asthma. The effective date of service connection and compensation for major depression has been established as March 11, 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right foot or ankle condition and headaches were not incurred in active service, as there is no medical evidence of a current disability related to service. The claim for service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are productive of subjective complaints of numerous headaches which are not prostrating, and the condition produces no more than characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months. His migraines do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's VA hospitalization from May to June 1999 was primarily for treatment of right occipital and right parietal stroke, a non-service-connected disability. The veteran's service-connected migraine headaches were not significantly treated during this period. As such, the claim for a temporary total rating based on VA hospitalization is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing bilateral foot disorder and migraine headaches did not worsen during service, and thus denied her claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that they were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic sinus disorder, and chronic headache disorder. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred during active duty or due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for reopening service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, as well as because he did not have service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to a service-connected low back disability and granted a higher rating of 20 percent for the veteran's low back disability. The claim for a higher rating for left foot fracture residuals was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for septal deviation, hypertrophied adenoids, and headaches. The evidence submitted since the January 2000 decision is considered cumulative or redundant.

The Board finds that the veteran has a chronic right hip disorder and left piriformis strain, both of which are service-connected. The veteran's muscular tension headaches have been rated at 10 percent since September 2001. The RO granted an increased rating for his left hip condition to 10 percent.

The veteran's service connection claim for migraine headaches is granted as the condition began during her active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and a rating of 10 percent for post-traumatic headaches, effective from January 17, 1978.

The veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches are related to a blast injury sustained during basic training in 1952. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability and headaches due to exposure to Agent Orange, as well as his attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for headaches. The RO found that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or exposure to Agent Orange, and that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the headache claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for common migraine headaches, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service. The effective date of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was established as March 1, 2002.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, colitis, kidney stones, a heart condition, scrotal cyst with circumcision, fungus of the feet, and migraine headaches, as they are not shown to have been present in or aggravated by active military service.

The veteran's headaches are related to his service-connected cervical spine sprain disability. However, there is no evidence of current disability due to compression fractures of T-11, T-12, and L-2 or arthritis of the thoracic spine and degenerative disc disease at L-2 that were incurred in service.

The Board has granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, effective from January 1, 2000.