Migraines & headaches decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the severity of his chronic headaches.

The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis is rated at 10 percent, but the issues for increased ratings are denied.,The Veteran's right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are both rated at 10 percent. The issues for increased ratings are denied.,The Veteran's headaches are currently rated at 10 percent. The issue for an increased rating is denied.,The Veteran's decreased vision in the left eye with optic neuritis is rated at 10 percent. The issue for an increased rating is denied.,The Veteran's status post meningo encephalitis is rated at 10 percent. The issue for an increased rating is denied.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not service-connected and thus does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings and service connection claims were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for tension headaches, and her other claims were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of headaches and major depression have been reopened, and the Board finds that these conditions are related to her military service. The claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits is remanded due to a potential exception in the regulations.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA standards. The Veteran's puretone thresholds have never met the criteria for a disability during this appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cluster headaches do not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating as they have been characterized by less frequent attacks than one in two months over the last several months.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, to include as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder, is not warranted. The evidence does not support a finding of a chronic headache condition related to service or service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's headaches were rated at 30 percent prior to October 2009, and increased to 50 percent effective November 1, 2009.,For the lumbar spine disability, ratings of 10%, 20%, and 50% have been granted since June 5, 2004.

The Board has remanded the case to the Appeals Management Center (AMC) for additional development, including a medical examination and consideration of whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities present an exceptional or unusual disability picture that would prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for a thyroid disorder, gastrointestinal disorder (GERD and reflux esophagitis), and headaches as due to undiagnosed illness in the Persian Gulf War. The Veteran's other claims have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to reassess the severity of his service-connected mixed headache syndrome and lumbar degenerative disc disease, as well as to address a derivative claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches have been rated at 30 percent since the appeal period began, reflecting characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once a month over several months.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disabilities, including psychiatric disability, asthma, hemorrhoids, Morton's neuroma, sinusitis, hypertension, right and left shoulder disabilities, a right knee disability, otitis media, rhinitis, costochondritis, GERD, headaches, and left testicle epididymitis. The Veteran does not have hearing loss as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches have been rated at 10 percent since February 17, 1981 to April 12, 2013. The appeal for a higher rating is granted. Regarding TDIU, the Veteran withdrew their appeal prior to the issuance of a decision.

The Veteran's headache disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from October 6, 2014. His bilateral ankle synovitis has been assigned a noncompensable evaluation throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current sinus disorder is causally related to her military service and grants entitlement to service connection for a sinus disorder. The issue of an increased rating for migraine headaches remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right elbow disability, claimed as cellulitis, was denied because there is no current diagnosis of a right elbow disability. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability.

The Veteran's GERD was granted an initial rating of 10 percent effective February 2, 2010. Service connection for right shoulder injury and right knee injury were denied. Service connection for migraine headaches secondary to PTSD was granted. Service connection for bilateral tinnitus was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a Travel Board hearing scheduled in February 2015. The case will be returned to the AOJ for scheduling another hearing.