Migraines & headaches decisions — 2006

The veteran's claim for additional vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31, United States Code is granted as he has been found to be rehabilitated and the occupation in which he previously completed training is deemed unsuitable due to his abilities and employment handicap.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's migraine headaches, which are characterized by characteristic prostrating attacks occurring at least twice per month. The current effective date is not specified.

The Board found no evidence verifying the veteran suffered a chronic head injury during service and there is no medical evidence showing a causal link between any remote incident of service and current disability. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's appeal involves multiple foot and knee disabilities, as well as a headache disorder. The right hip disability is not found to be service-connected or related to other conditions. Ratings of 10% are assigned for the left foot bone spur with plantar fasciitis, right foot heel spur with plantar fasciitis, and residuals of a right knee injury with degenerative changes. A separate rating of 30% is granted for migraine headaches. The umbilical herniorrhaphy residuals receive a 10% rating.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic headache disability attributable to service, and denied the claim for service connection.,There is no clear indication of a right knee disability in service or post-service medical records. The Board concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection for the appellant's right knee disability.

The veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's migraine headaches did not pre-exist service and were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and residuals of a left shoulder injury, but denied these claims on their merits as there is no evidence to support that these conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's seizure disorder, secondary to his service-connected compound depressed frontal skull fracture, was granted a 20 percent rating effective November 30, 2005. The VA also noted that the veteran had headaches as a result of his service-connected condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including those due to an undiagnosed illness, were denied as the evidence did not establish a link between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not have migraine headaches during service and cannot establish a direct or presumptive connection to service. Therefore, his claim for service connection for migraine headaches is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board is unable to grant the requested increases or establish service connection due to a lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the statutory threshold for entitlement to service connection due to a lack of current disabilities. The claims are being remanded for further development and examination.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not caused by VA negligence in prescribing contaminated Etodolac, and thus denied his claims under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for low back disability due to new evidence. The claim of increased rating for post-traumatic headaches was granted and a 10% evaluation is assigned.

The veteran is seeking service connection for headaches, which he claims are related to his service-connected residuals of a fractured left mandible. The case has been remanded due to incomplete development and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia and depression, but granted her claim for muscle tension headaches as secondary to her service-connected chronic cervical strain.

The VA determined that the veteran's brain tumor and headaches are not related to his service, as they were due to known clinical diagnoses of lipoma within the brain and migraine headaches, respectively.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's daily headaches, finding that they are in part secondary to medications he takes for his service-connected myofascial pain syndrome of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and an increased rating for chronic bronchitis with bronchial asthma, finding no competent evidence linking the current conditions to his service-connected condition.