Migraines & headaches decisions — 2011

The Veteran's migraines were found to be productive of severe economic inadaptability beginning February 17, 2011. The maximum schedular rating of 50 percent is granted for this period.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and reviewing the claims file to ensure all necessary actions have been taken.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a neck disability, manifested by chronic headaches, loss of feeling in the left hand and right hand, and loss of feeling in the left foot and right foot, was granted. The Veteran's service connection claim for a hernia was denied. A rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, effective from December 8, 2010, was granted. The Veteran's TDIU rating claim is pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatitis C and migraine headaches, as well as whether these conditions are related to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a neck/cervical spine disorder characterized by pain, including as secondary to his service-connected muscle tension headaches.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, back disorder, or headache disorder. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding any such disorders are related to military service.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability since January 15, 2007. The claims for increased ratings of his right and left knee disabilities, as well as for initial compensable rating for residuals of tonsillectomy, have been denied.

The Veteran's headaches, which are now rated at 50 percent disabling, have become more frequent and severe, requiring bedrest in a dark room for more than half of her episodes. Her degenerative spondyloarthritis of the lumbar spine also worsened, affecting her ability to engage in physical or sedentary employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's chronic headaches are not related to his active duty service and denied reopening of his previously denied claim for a skin disorder due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran seeks to reopen his claims for service connection for various conditions, including left ankle disorder, headaches, back disorder, depression, bilateral foot disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and hypertension. The RO previously denied these claims in January 2003 due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or showing current diagnoses.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. However, the claim is denied as there is no competent or credible evidence linking current headaches or brain anomalies noted on imaging examination to active service or the head injury during service.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches have not been productive of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability, thus warranting a rating no higher than the currently assigned 30 percent.

The Veteran's migraine headache disability is not related to his service or any service-connected conditions, and the Board finds that he has failed to establish a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected neurological disability, pseudotumor cerebri.

Service connection for muscle fatigue, memory loss, joint pain (multiple), and headaches was denied.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to determine whether his National Guard service was federal or state in nature. The hearing loss disability claim is also being remanded as a new opinion is required from a VA audiologist.

The Board denied all issues on appeal, including entitlement to increased ratings for the dry eye syndrome and service connection claims for various shoulder, knee, and back disorders. The denial of new and material evidence in reopening left and right shoulder disorder claims was also upheld.

The Veteran's headaches are not found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a retrospective medical opinion regarding the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities. The earlier effective date claim for TDIU is deferred pending resolution of the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.