Migraines & headaches decisions — 2006

The Board has denied service connection for pruritis of the palm of the right hand and a bilateral knee disability. Service connection was not established as there is no evidence of such conditions during active duty or within one year after discharge.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and considering all evidence of record.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the appellant's service-connected chronic diarrhea, effective from February 1, 2001. The claims for increased ratings for chronic tension headaches and post-traumatic stress disorder are remanded.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected migraine headaches, currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities for the claimed conditions of bilateral knee, ankle, headaches, jaw pain, sinus, foot, and eye. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The veteran's headaches did not begin in service and they are not the result of an injury sustained in combat. Therefore, his claim for service connection is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to address whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of service connection for headaches, as well as entitlement to service connection for PTSD. The veteran's military records do not indicate he engaged in combat with an enemy, so his claimed stressors must be corroborated by other evidence.

The veteran's migraine headaches are productive of two migraines a week, missing three to four days a month from work. The RO has granted a 50% rating for his service-connected migraine headaches.

The Board granted an increased rating of 20 percent for the veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, which was initially evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The evaluation for migraine headaches with vision disturbances remains at 10 percent.

The Board finds that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including migraine headaches and fever and cold sweats, were not incurred or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased initial rating for infertility and entitlement to additional special monthly compensation based on infertility, finding that he did not meet the criteria for these benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability manifested by headaches that is due to disease or injury incurred in service. The claim for service connection for headaches was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hiatus hernia with reflux and vascular calcification of abdomen, urethritis, squamous papilloma (claimed as nose cancer), headaches, hemorrhoids, ankle and leg weakness, neck pain, hypertension, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, and multiple cancers. However, the claims are not granted due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any incident thereof.

The Board has determined that the veteran's migraine headaches were first manifested within one year of his separation from service, warranting service connection.

The Board finds that the veteran's back pain and headaches are not proximately due to carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill on the part of VA medical professionals during spinal taps in April and September 1997. Therefore, his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have migraine headaches or a disability manifested by toothaches that are related to his military service. The claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and blackouts, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The veteran's migraine headaches, left foot fracture with metatarsal bone grafts, asthma, and hiatal hernia with gastritis are all rated at the maximum allowable under their respective diagnostic codes. The veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating in any of these cases.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining service department certification and private medical records.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings on headaches, bilateral tinea pedis, lumbar spine disability, and left knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a thorough VA examination.