Migraines & headaches decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's TBI residuals are not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current symptoms of headaches and cognitive dysfunction are related to his in-service blast injury, which is considered a direct service connection. The appeal is granted.

The Board found no evidence of a right shoulder disability, headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, right hand disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, back disability, neuropathy, allergies, arthritis, or erectile dysfunction that were incurred in service. The Veteran's current conditions are not presumed to have been incurred due to the lack of showing within one year post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disability and tension headache disability are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disorder, and thus grants service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric conditions and orthopedic issues, have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance. The Board has determined that he requires this assistance due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board found insufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claim of a headache condition being related to his service, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran withdrew her claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for migraine headaches in a written statement, leading to the dismissal of the appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, arthritis of the hands, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and sleep apnea. The claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent prior to May 14, 2014 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter for an acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for a headache disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and obstructive sleep apnea on a secondary basis due to his service-connected tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and headaches.

The Board found that the Veteran's headaches did not cause severe economic inadaptability, and thus denied an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to August 16, 2011.

The Veteran was granted service connection for joint pain, fatigue, parathesis, and myalgia. The condition is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi-system illness.,Service connection for pes planus, bronchitis (claimed as respiratory disorder), vertigo (claimed as dizzy spells), and headaches were denied.

The Veteran's post-traumatic headaches are currently rated at the highest schedular evaluation of 50 percent, and there is no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected status post head injury with headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected closed head injury and all residuals, including dizziness and chronic headaches. The claim will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had onset during active service and is granted service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the previously denied service connection claims for migraines, tinnitus, a bilateral hand disability (left and right), a left foot disability, an eye disability, a neck disability, a back disability, and a bilateral arm disability. The Veteran's claims of service connection remain denied.

The Veteran's left leg shrapnel residuals, including a left ankle condition and left big toe condition, are not related to his military service.,His right shoulder condition is not related to his military service. The Veteran has no credible evidence of such an association.,The Veteran's headaches have not been shown to be either a chronic disability or etiologically related to military service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was not present until many years after service and is not related to his military service.,His right knee condition has not been shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current skin disability and headaches are not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, nor are they caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The VA examiner found no evidence of direct service connection for these conditions.