Migraines & headaches decisions — 2016

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder, bilateral foot disorder, and tinnitus. Service connection was also denied for a low back disorder and headaches (claimed as residuals of a broken nose).

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for migraines, low back, and neck disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and updated treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of issues including service connection for various conditions, reopening of claims, and examination.

The Veteran's headaches are service connected as secondary to her service-connected TBI. The effective date for the grant of TDIU is set at May 14, 2010. The reduction from a 70 percent rating to a 50 percent rating for PTSD and depressive disorder was not proper.

The Veteran's mandible disorder and headaches are being remanded for additional development to clarify the diagnoses, assess their etiology, and address any relevant medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected psychiatric disorder and headache disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of TBI is pending and not decided.,Service connection was granted for chronic kidney disease (CKD) effective January 16, 2009. The Veteran's PTSD with MDD disability rating remains at 70 percent.,PTSD with MDD disability ratings have been denied since February 26, 2014.,The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for migraine headaches effective May 28, 2015.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current head disorder, to include headaches and a neck disorder, as a result of the Veteran's military service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's migraine headaches did not begin during service and are not related to active service. The migraines were also not caused or chronically worsened in severity beyond a normal progression by the service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection were dismissed as the decisions assigning the effective dates have become final.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board has not yet issued a statement of the case on the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraines from April 26, 2011, forward is being remanded due to inadequate statement of reasons and bases in the previous decision.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic disability in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain with fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, a disorder manifested by difficulty breathing (undiagnosed illness), and acid reflux (GERD) due to new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse, joint pain, or right knee degenerative joint disease. The claim for service connection for migraine headaches is denied as there is no evidence linking the Veteran's symptoms to his active duty service. Service connection for hypertension is denied due to lack of medical evidence establishing its onset during service.

The Veteran's migraine headache disability is rated at a maximum of 50 percent, the highest rating available. The Veteran's right tibial tendon tear was not found to be service-connected due to lack of evidence in her STRs.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right arm condition, left arm condition, and headaches are dismissed as moot because the Veteran has already been granted service connection for these conditions in a previous rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, headache disability, and sleep apnea are all service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral patellar tendinitis (jumper's knee), bilateral shin splints, and elbow osteoarthritis. The remaining claims of service connection for sleep apnea, TBI including headaches and seizures, and a disorder of the thoracic and/or lumbar spine are remanded for further development.