Migraines & headaches decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been remanded due to the inextricability of issues with SMC eligibility. The Board will consider entitlement on an extra-schedular basis under special provisions and may also address SMC if applicable.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's left trigeminal nerve shrapnel wound, effective July 14, 2010. The claim for headaches remains at noncompensable.

The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition. The Board finds that his current METs level of 3-5 does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 7005 or 7017.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as her bipolar disability has been rated at 100% since March 5, 2015.

The Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected photophobia with residual headaches, which has rendered him unemployable.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 29, 2010, for the grant of service connection for migraine headaches. The evidence did not show any prior informal or formal claims for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection for headaches, right knee scar, MDD, chronic cervical strain, DJD of the right knee post-repaired ACL and meniscal injury, chronic right ankle strain, and right foot pes planus, plantar fasciitis and callus of the great toe have been granted. The Veteran is currently assigned a 10% evaluation for his right knee scar.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the February 2012 rating decision that denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, headaches, and chronic cervical strain secondary to a thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and reviewing all outstanding records of ongoing VA treatment.

The Veteran's service-connected tension headaches, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cervical spondylosis disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. After affording the Veteran the benefit of the doubt, his service-connected disabilities alone are sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's hypertension is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD, ischemic heart disease, and migraine headaches, as well as in-service exposures.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing headaches existed prior to service and did not increase in severity during service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right wrist tendonitis is granted. The Board found that the Veteran has demonstrated a right wrist tendonitis disability during the appeal, and such disability first manifested during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of his claimed conditions are related to Gulf War syndrome or other factors.

The Board finds that the Veteran's headaches and migraines with memory loss are not related to his military service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness. The evidence does not show a chronic disability during or within presumptive periods after service.

The Veteran's tension headaches with sleep disturbance are rated at 50 percent effective November 4, 2015. Service connection for CFS is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment in service records. The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to ensure a complete record and proper consideration of his claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining relevant Social Security Administration records and any outstanding VA medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are granted as his symptoms of memory loss, headaches, fatigue, involuntary movements, urinary issues, and gastrointestinal problems are considered manifestations of an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness related to his Gulf War service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination with a neurologist to assess the nature and severity of his service-connected migraine headaches and whether any vision problems are related to these headaches.