Migraines & headaches decisions — 2015

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current headaches are not related to his active duty service and have denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's tension headaches are related to service, but denied service connection for left knee arthritis as there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran timely filed a substantive appeal for his claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD with night sweats, stress, helplessness, problems concentrating, depression and fatigue; headaches to include as secondary to PTSD; and sleep apnea to include as secondary to PTSD. As such, these claims are now ready for further adjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, with the exception of the time period from March 26, 2012 to April 30, 2013 when he had a 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his depressive disorder and neck strain with degenerative changes, are found to be of sufficient severity to produce unemployability. However, the VA examiner did not make the ultimate determination of whether the combined impact of the Veteran's disabilities rendered him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is granted, with a 20% rating effective from May 1, 2014. The claims of service connection for neck disability, bladder dysfunction, headaches, and left knee DJD are all denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for service-connected chronic headaches, residuals of prostate cancer, and radiation proctitis are denied. The claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy is also denied.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches, effective May 3, 2001. The claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is being remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's appeal for vocational rehabilitation benefits under Chapter 31, Title 38, United States Code has been withdrawn. The Board is dismissing the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 19, 2009 was granted. The RO has already granted the Veteran a 40% rating for his lumbar spine disability effective from April 16, 2008.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if there is a nexus between the Veteran's immune system deficiency and service, including exposure to burning trash and feces. The same will be done for his headaches.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral knee disorder, right ankle disorder, headache disorder, and residuals of Bell's palsy. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly address these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received from SSA and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's alleged hospitalization in June 1979 needs to be verified, and a VA examination is needed to assess whether his headaches are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for congestive heart failure, deviated nasal septum, sinus disability, and COPD. The Board found no evidence of a chronic sinus disability during service and determined that any current sinus disability was not related to service. Service connection was also denied for COPD as the examiner opined it was less likely than not incurred in or caused by service.

The Board has reopened several service connection claims and granted them, with some issues receiving staged ratings. The effective date for the award of PTSD is set at April 9, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches and addressing whether they are related to his service-connected double cyst formation in the upper occipital region.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for headaches, which he claims are related to his period of active duty service and/or his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Type II diabetes mellitus. The Board finds that additional development is necessary prior to adjudication.

The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar strain and patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee have been granted increased disability ratings, while his service connection claim for cluster headaches remains pending.