Migraines & headaches decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of sinusitis is dismissed.,The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for residual fracture of right hand ring finger and little finger.,The Veteran is entitled to an initial 20 percent rating for right shoulder degenerative joint disease from September 24, 2011.,The Veteran is entitled to an initial 10 percent rating for residual right wrist fracture from September 24, 2011.,From July 4, 2017, the Veteran is entitled to a 30 percent rating for tension headaches.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, migraine headaches, and TBI were denied. The evidence did not show that the Veteran's conditions warranted a higher rating at any point during the period on appeal.

The Board has restored a 30% rating for tension headaches from May 8, 2013 to April 26, 2017. The heart condition claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Board has identified the appeal as being related back to the original denial of an increased rating for sinusitis with headaches and face pain. The skin cancer claim is remanded due to a need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's skin cancer was caused by or otherwise resulted from ionizing radiation exposure during military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were previously denied in September 2010. No new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, and dysthymic disorder, a bilateral ankle disorder, migraine headaches, right wrist arthritis, and neurological symptoms in the left lower extremity. The Board found insufficient credible supporting evidence to corroborate the claimed in-service stressors of MST or personal assault, and concluded that there was no diagnosis of PTSD based on these stressors. The Veteran's depressive disorder is not service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private hospital records from Penrose Saint Francis Health Services and providing VCAA notice regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims, including obtaining a VA examination and reviewing new evidence.

The Veteran's seizure disorder was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to her active military service.,The Veteran's headaches, including migraines and vascular headaches, were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's headaches are etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI to include headaches and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions, but granted a 70 percent disability rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's mixed tension type and vascular headaches are currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds that there is no evidence of characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once per month over the last several months. Therefore, a higher rating cannot be granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for shell fragment wound residuals of the left mastoid process and entitlement to an earlier effective date for PTSD were denied. The claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder was not addressed as it is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's headaches were incurred in active military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are currently rated at 50 percent since July 7, 2016. Prior to that date, the rating was 30 percent.

The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease that led to the Veteran's current knee, back, and headache conditions. The diagnoses were not incurred during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right foot disability, migraine headaches, and sleep disorder are all related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.