Migraines & headaches decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to procedural issues and to obtain necessary medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disorder, arthritis of the legs, disability manifested by dizziness and syncope, migraine headaches, tinea pedis, tinea cruris, onychomycosis, hemorrhoidal tags, or lentiginosis that are related to active service. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection for seborrheic keratosis and headaches/forgetfulness, including as due to an undiagnosed illness are denied. The left elbow disability claim is also denied.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current nervous disorder with headaches to her active duty service, and denied her claim.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for the veteran's chronic headaches, effective June 25, 1996.

The veteran's claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for headaches secondary to a head injury sustained in October 1999 at a VA facility is being remanded due to insufficient notification and information provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and muscle pain and weakness. The decision also noted that the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his muscle condition was granted.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not relate any of the claimed conditions to service, and thus, the claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for right lower quadrant pain to include diverticulitis due to a procedural issue regarding the timeliness of the notice of disagreement. The ratings for hypertension and migraine headaches are addressed in another decision.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current psychiatric disorder or skin disorder related to his active service, but he did experience headaches during active duty for training. The veteran's current headaches are considered as an undiagnosed illness due to his Gulf War service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's headache disorder is a current disability incurred in service.

The veteran's headaches, right leg disability (venous insufficiency and stasis dermatitis), and left leg disability (venous insufficiency and stasis dermatitis) are all found to be related to his service-connected shell fragment wounds. The veteran is granted increased evaluations for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for contusion of the right orbital socket with headaches and for a pinched nerve in the neck and shoulder, finding no evidence to support these claims. The claim for reopening the pinched nerve issue was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for undiagnosed illness manifested by diffuse myalgias, joint pains and tension headaches is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis with headaches and temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), finding that these conditions are related to the veteran's military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his period of active duty and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for a left trapezius muscle scar, service connection for a cervical spine disability and headaches as secondary to his residuals of a left shoulder injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of post-traumatic headache disorder, finding that the appropriate effective date is May 23, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, warranting service connection for these conditions. Headaches were also found to be incurred in service.

The veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, and he is also rated at 10 percent for migraine headaches. His combined rating is 40 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher schedular rating.