Migraines & headaches decisions — 2002

The veteran's claims for service connection were granted, but the ratings assigned are noncompensable or 10 percent. The cardiovascular disability claim was denied as not proximately due to a service-connected condition.

The Board found that the veteran's headaches were not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for left knee disability, residuals of head injury with recurrent headaches, residuals of cervical spine and thoracic spine injuries, and gastrointestinal disorder. The veteran did not have a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 22, 1998, for a 50 percent disability rating for post-concussion syndrome with recurrent headaches. The evidence did not support an earlier effective date due to lack of ascertainable increase in disability prior to May 22, 1998.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral eye disorder, and a headache disorder. The evidence submitted did not meet the criteria to reopen these claims or establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current disabilities of headaches, jaw problems, facial scars, and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine are results of his inservice motor vehicle accident.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic-type tension headaches, residuals of cervical spine strain, and residuals of low back strain. The veteran's claims for increased ratings for status post nephrolithiasis, status post 3rd metatarsal stress fracture, and chronic left shoulder strain were also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension and headaches were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and secondary service connection for dysthymia. Headaches were incurred in service, while dysthymia is due to the veteran's service-connected Meniere's syndrome (formerly diagnosed as labyrinthitis).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, increased evaluations for left knee injury with chronic patellar tendonitis, and headaches. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for service connection for a headache disorder, separate and apart from his service-connected sinusitis, is denied due to pyramiding.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a conversion disorder, as new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for metatarsus primus varus, migraine headaches, and liver cysts. The veteran's claim of service connection for migraine headaches was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches, a stomach disorder, and disorders of the feet and fingers. The claim for a higher rating for bilateral patellofemoral syndrome was also denied.

The Board found no evidence of a pre-existing condition that was aggravated by service, and the veteran's current Alzheimer's dementia is not linked to his cerebral contusion. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome and migraine headaches, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating than currently assigned.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for service-connected chronic headaches, finding that the veteran's headaches meet criteria for such an evaluation based on frequent attacks over several months.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosed disability in either case.

The veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral pes planus and headaches were denied by the RO. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of more than mild or minimally symptomatic pes planus, and that the veteran's headaches are generally described as tension-type with occasional migraines.

The Board found that the veteran's tension headaches did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as they were not shown to be prostrating and prolonged enough to warrant such a rating. The issue of TDIU will be addressed in a separate remand.