Migraines & headaches decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain VA treatment records from the New York, New York VAMC dated in 1968/1969 and to conduct a VA examination if necessary.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, right knee degenerative joint disease, right eye glaucoma, and hearing loss in both ears. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a nexus to service.,There is no credible evidence linking the current disabilities to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need to provide notice regarding alternative sources of evidence for her PTSD claim.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating greater than 20 percent for left shoulder impingement syndrome with degenerative arthritis was dismissed.,Service connection for a sleep disorder was denied. The Veteran is not diagnosed with this condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to address tinnitus and sinusitis claims. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to incomplete information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current lumbar spine, cervical spine, right hip, left knee, or right knee disability. The Board also found no in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at the highest possible level (50%) due to very frequent, completely prostrating attacks causing severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has remanded the cases of kidney disability and migraine headaches for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations to determine the nature and likely cause of these conditions.

The claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, and schizophrenia have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received. The claim for service connection for a headache disorder has been reopened.,A VA opinion in May 2017 indicated that the Veteran's schizophrenia is more likely than not caused by his pyeloplasty for uretero-pelvic junction obstruction, which was aggravated by post-surgical pain.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cicatricial neuroma cutis and headaches was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a nexus between his current headache disability and service, as no chronic headache condition was shown within one year of separation from service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding aggravation by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the service connection for migraines and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and pulmonary disability. The effective dates of these determinations are November 29, 1991. Service connection for migraines and chronic sinusitis have also been granted with effective dates of the same date.

Service connection is granted for bilateral plantar fasciitis, hemorrhoids, and PTSD.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, insomnia, hypertension, arthritis of the lumbar spine, and headaches are remanded.

The Veteran's 30 percent rating for migraine headaches is restored effective April 29, 2013. A higher rating of more than 30 percent is denied.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 30 percent since December 30, 2004. The Board has determined that a higher rating is warranted.,The effective date for the total disability rating based on individual unemployability was revised to March 11, 2015 from June 2, 2010.,The effective date for Dependents’ Educational Assistance benefits remains prior to March 11, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than posttraumatic stress disorder and headaches, to include secondary to service-connected tinnitus due to conflicting evidence of record. The Veteran's statements regarding his in-service stressors are found to lack credibility.

The Veteran's service-connected tension headaches are currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a compensable rating due to the infrequent nature of his prostrating attacks.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disorder and headaches due to Gulf War exposure. The Veteran's service treatment records do not show complaints of headaches, but he is competent to report experiencing them since service. For the low back, there was an injury during service. An addendum opinion is needed from the VA examiner who previously evaluated these claims.

The Veteran's headaches were rated at a noncompensable level prior to October 16, 2014. Since then, the rating has been increased to 50 percent effective from October 16, 2014.