Migraines & headaches decisions — 2011

The Veteran's chronic headaches began during active duty service and continue to this day. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection are met, granting service connection for a headache condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a headache disorder is being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected chronic fatigue syndrome, sinusitis with otitis, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a skin disability, and migraine headaches. The evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions meeting VA standards.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to her failure to appear for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. A new hearing will be scheduled at the RO or another location of her choice.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was incurred during his active duty military service and the Board finds that he is entitled to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that new evidence was submitted to reopen some claims, but the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any condition.

The Board has denied reopening the claim of service connection for a migraine disorder, finding that the new evidence does not show a relationship to active service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran incurred unauthorized medical expenses at SHRMC for treatment of mental status changes and headaches. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if a VA facility was feasibly available for transfer.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for allergic rhinitis is denied, while his initial disability rating greater than 30 percent for combined tension-migraine headaches remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for further action, including consideration of an extraschedular rating for his vascular headaches and readjudication of both claims.

The Veteran's chronic headaches and fatigue are found to be secondary to his service-connected hepatitis C, and he is granted a higher rating for endocarditis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, lumbar spine disability, and headaches have been denied as the evidence does not show that any of these conditions warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent at any time since service connection was granted.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and private treatment records. She also needs new VA examinations to evaluate her migraine headaches and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spinal strain with degenerative disc disease, lumbar spinal strain, and headaches as secondary to the cervical condition.,All conditions are found to be related to active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a right wrist/hand disability were granted with an effective date of April 25, 2002. The claim for hypertension was reopened and granted. The August 2003 rating decision that granted these disabilities contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in assigning the effective date.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder and migraine headaches, to include blackout spells, finding that the preponderance of evidence does not establish an etiological link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's current degenerative arthritis of the right knee is due to an injury in service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for this condition. The Veteran also has a history of headaches that are related to his in-service motorcycle accident.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his headaches.