Migraines & headaches decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical records and a need for an appropriate VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his post-traumatic headaches, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the frequency of his headaches.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are manifested by severe headaches several times a week, causing symptoms such as blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. The medical evidence supports an initial 50 percent rating for this condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the veteran did not have current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral axillary abscesses, or degenerative arthritis in either knee. The veteran also did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his cervical spine or lumbar spine conditions.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for his left leg disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, headache disability, and skin disorder involving the upper extremities and left leg. The veteran served in Vietnam but there is no presumption of exposure to herbicides.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current migraine headache condition to his military service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's service connection claim for migraines is granted as his current migraine disorder relates to his in-service headache disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the basic eligibility requirements for a nonservice-connected pension due to his service not occurring during a period of war or in the Persian Gulf War, and thus denied the claim.

The Board denied service connection for tooth loss, headaches, skin rash, and arthritis of the neck and back. The veteran's claims were based on direct service connection rather than any presumption or secondary to herbicide exposure.

The RO denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of August 22, 1991 for a 100% rating for PTSD. The veteran had previously filed claims for increased ratings and was granted a temporary 100% rating in July-December 1992 due to hospitalization at Coatesville VA Medical Center.

The Board has ordered a remand for further development of the veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA psychiatric examination to assess his PTSD. The examiner is also requested to determine if the veteran's pre-existing headache disorder was aggravated or permanently worsened during his period of service.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's migraine headaches, right wrist disorder, lumbosacral strain/injury, and left shoulder disorder. The decision also addressed evaluations for these conditions, with some issues being granted initial or increased ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches and denied service connection for a lumbar spine levorotational scoliosis with developmental spina bifida T12-L1, as well as left eye disability (optic neuropathy, myopia, astigmatism).

The Board found that the veteran's cervical spine disorder and headaches were not incurred or aggravated during active service, nor could they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for numbness of the hands and feet, dizziness, headaches, liver problems, and hepatitis C. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the veteran's migraine headaches are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected tinnitus, bilateral otitis media and externa, bilateral tympanic membrane perforations, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for dizziness and headaches, as well as an extension of a temporary total evaluation due to convalescence. The highest schedular rating available was granted for dizziness prior to October 19, 1993.

The Board has determined that the veteran's conversion disorder, which is productive of total occupational and social impairment, warrants a 100 percent disability rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and migraine headaches, as well as his increased rating claim for low back disability. The veteran's right lumbar radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent prior to June 30, 2004, but not greater than 10 percent thereafter. The fracture of the left carpal navicular bone is rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including vocal cord disability, hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, and vision loss, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.