Migraines & headaches decisions — 2012

The Board found that the Veteran failed to report for VA examinations and did not provide a valid reason. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the presence of current headache or back disorders related to service, including as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities and consideration of whether an extraschedular TDIU rating should be considered.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome and tension headaches, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to her military service. Service connection was denied for a lumbar spine disorder.

The Board finds that the Veteran's chronic tension headaches had their onset in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including recurrent major depressive disorder associated with headaches due to head trauma, is now rated at 70 percent effective September 29, 2009.,Effective May 22, 2002, the Veteran's headaches are rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new hearing and issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) on the issue of an initial rating for maxillary sinusitis.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo and found that the Veteran's headaches do not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran is currently rated as noncompensable for his headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and a condition causing blackouts, finding no evidence of such conditions during or after his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's migraine headaches, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, low back disability, and skin disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The diagnoses of these conditions are less likely than not related to any event or incident during her military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the cases are dismissed.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for her low back disability was denied, and her hypertension claim was granted but with a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a headache disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion evidence, as well as verification of his active duty status.

The Board has granted service connection for head trauma with residual migraines and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his claimed disabilities are related to undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisystem illness, and whether they qualify as presumptive under the Gulf War Syndrome criteria.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic headaches and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current migraine headaches are not related to her military service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his benign prostatic hypertrophy with prostatism has been granted, effective September 18, 2006. The effective date of the increased disability evaluation is determined to be September 18, 2006.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran has a low back disability, bronchitis, or sleep apnea disability that are etiologically related to service. The claims for these conditions were therefore denied.

The Veteran's cluster headaches were manifested by characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once a month over the last several months, but very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability were not shown.,Prior to October 7, 2011, the Veteran was granted an evaluation of 30 percent for cluster headaches under Diagnostic Code 8100.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of her service connection claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to address the nature and etiology of her claimed disabilities.