Migraines & headaches decisions — 2010

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and residuals of a head injury, but denied his claim for service connection for bilateral shoulder condition. The rating assigned is 10% for the lower back disability.

The Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, preventing the determination of his claims.,VA medical records show that the Veteran's headaches, depression, and alcohol dependence were first diagnosed many years after service.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The other conditions are not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension began during his active military service and is presumed to have been incurred therein. The other conditions are not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 25, 2004 for the grant of service connection for optic nerve IV damage with diplopia and dizziness as due to an undiagnosed illness. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for migraine headaches is remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and migraine headaches did not have their onset in active service or within one year of active service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current migraines to service, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no credible evidence to support his PTSD diagnosis and the other conditions did not appear related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss and cervical spine disability, increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, and initial ratings for tinnitus and cervicogenic headaches. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 10 percent prior to April 4, 2009, and 20 percent since then.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling appropriate VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling medical examinations to address the nature and etiology of any current back and/or headache disorders.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for headaches, a psychiatric disability, and a sleep disorder. The preponderance of evidence is against finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a head injury with post-traumatic headaches are currently rated at 50 percent effective November 13, 2006. The Veteran has very frequent prostrating attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further medical examinations and opinions to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions, including whether they are related to military service or undiagnosed illnesses.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his current level of impairment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's headache disorder and scalp laceration scar were not found to be related to service or a service-connected condition, leading to denial of both claims.

The Veteran died from Acute Myelocytic Leukemia. The Board found that the service-connected conditions did not play a role in his death, but requested an opinion on whether they aggravated the AML.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches are related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation and to determine if his vascular dementia is related to his service-connected head injury.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions and exposure history.