Migraines & headaches decisions — 2010

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional VA treatment records and an opinion regarding current residuals of head trauma from service.

The Board determined that the Veteran's current diagnosed headaches and vertigo were not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service.

The Veteran's service-connected cartilage defect of the right knee with arthritis has been rated at 10 percent since May 31, 2003. The appeal for a higher evaluation remains before the Board. Service connection for headaches is granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for headaches, claimed as a residual of a head injury during active duty. The Board has determined that further examination and opinion are needed to determine the etiology of his current complaints.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, headaches, and a urinary disorder. The appeal is remanded to obtain additional records from SSA.

The Veteran's memory loss, headaches, and cysts have been granted service connection. Memory loss is due to undiagnosed illness, while the other conditions are associated with PTSD.

The Veteran's headaches are found to be incurred in service and granted. The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for acne vulgaris with acne rosacea as well as folliculitis is dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether Meniere's disease with vertigo, migraine headaches, and perilymphatic fistula had its onset in service. The Veteran's current disabilities are therefore granted as incurred in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including irritable bowel syndrome, depressive disorder, arthralgias in multiple joints, headaches, and fatigue, idiopathic fasciculation (muscle twitching), tinnitus, chondromalacia patella of the bilateral knees, left shoulder tendonitis, post-operative scar tissue, and chronic sinusitis with nosebleeds, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for her low back disability and TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new examinations and consideration of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for intractable migraine headaches was denied. The other issues regarding increased ratings for his right ankle, first metatarsal head, and lumbosacral strain were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for her service-connected migraine headaches remains in appellate status and must be remanded for a Statement of the Case addressing this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred from November 23, 2005 to November 25, 2005 was denied as VA facilities were feasibly available and the treatment did not constitute a medical emergency.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his migraine headaches and a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his migraine headaches and thoracic strain are being remanded to the RO for further development and readjudication.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for weight problems, to include as due to undiagnosed illness, has been dismissed. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep disturbance, fatigue, headaches, and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, and headache condition are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA TBI examination and for issuance of a statement of the case regarding initial ratings for degenerative spondylosis of the cervical spine, hearing loss, and tinnitus.