Migraines & headaches decisions — 2005

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination. The veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, vertigo, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss are pending.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and headaches, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The case is being remanded for additional development of the appellant's medical records and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits claim.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, fatigue, left ankle disorder, and cervical spine disorder, were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty military service.

The Board denied service connection for shaking hands and tremors, as well as other conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active duty or an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's service-connected residual headaches due to viral encephalitis are productive of very painful almost daily headaches, warranting a 30 percent disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his in-service injury and his current headaches.

The veteran's increased ratings for appendectomy scar and migraine headaches have been granted, with the migraine headaches receiving a 50% rating.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, reflecting moderate impairment in social and occupational functioning.

The Board found the reduction of the rating from 30% to 10% for service-connected residuals of a depressed skull fracture, status post craniotomy with organic mental disorder and headaches was proper based on clear medical evidence showing improvement. The veteran's condition is now rated at 10%. An increased rating is not warranted.

The Board has received notification of the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, including headaches. The decision was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected migraine headaches, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection have been denied due to lack of new and material evidence, and because his pre-existing conditions did not increase in severity during military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The veteran has been granted service connection for a chronic headache disorder and is also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for reopening service connection for psychiatric disability, seizure disorder with amnesia, headache disorder, and back disability are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional evidence from Social Security Administration.

The veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative residuals of a deviated septum (fractured nose) was granted, and an effective date of July 26, 1989 was assigned. The veteran's claim for earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for allergies was denied as there is no evidence showing that he submitted his request to reopen the claim prior to July 26, 1990.

The Board is unable to determine the outcome of some claims due to insufficient evidence, but has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted for others. The veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for headaches as a residual of brain trauma, and denied the remaining issues. The veteran's service connection for these conditions is based on direct evidence rather than any presumption or secondary theory.