Migraines & headaches decisions — 2011

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding the initial ratings for PTSD, migraine and tension headaches, low back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his migraine headaches.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis and has also found that a disability rating of 10 percent is warranted for post-traumatic headaches. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current sinus problems are related to his military service, and he prevails on this issue. For his post-traumatic headaches, the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal on all issues, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and migraine headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and chronic headaches, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's single service-connected disability, vascular cluster headaches rated at 50%, does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating as his combined disability rating is less than 100% and he has sufficient work experience to engage in part-time independent contractor work.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for right foot/ankle disability, low back disability, neck disability, and headaches.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, SSA records, and deck logs from his ship during his claimed in-service stressor event.

The Board is reopening the claims for service connection for an eye disability and headaches on the basis of new and material evidence, but then remanding them to the RO for further development.,For tinnitus, the Veteran's claim has been granted as his tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized, non-VA medical expenses incurred on May 11, 2004 is denied because the condition was not an emergency and a VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a cold injury to the bilateral feet and migraine headaches, both previously denied. The evidence now shows that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as the evidence did not establish a chronic disability or objective indications of a qualifying chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness in the Southwest Asia Theater during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, tinnitus, headaches, sciatica, and ulnar nerve disorder. The Veteran's service-connected back pain syndrome with Grade 1 L5-S1 spondylolisthesis is granted an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, right and left knee disabilities, hypertension, asthma, right and left wrist disabilities, migraine headaches, allergic rhinitis, and erectile dysfunction, preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background. As such, a TDIU is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical evidence from Camp Lejeune. The appellant is also required to provide any relevant VA or private treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including new VA examinations to assess the severity of his PTSD and headaches. The claim for a TDIU will be held in abeyance pending adjudication of the increased rating claims.

The Board found that sinusitis with headaches, first documented after service, is unrelated to an injury or disease of service origin and not caused by or made worse by the service-connected residuals of in-service head injury.

The Board has granted service connection for a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom neurological illness, which encompasses all of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to his service-connected tension headaches and chronic loss of consciousness, including seeking higher ratings for these conditions and earlier effective dates. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.