Migraines & headaches decisions — 2019

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for a sleep disability, an acquired psychiatric disability, erectile dysfunction, and headaches.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of contemporaneous treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and for burial benefits due to inextricably intertwined issues. The appellant must be determined as a proper substitute claimant, if applicable, before any further action is taken.

The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and initial increased rating for migraines are both granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraines is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and evaluation of his service-connected right hand disability, as well as additional claims related to migraine headaches, eye disorder, cervical spine disorder, left upper extremity disorder, jaw pain/facial spasms, skin disorder, and heart disorder.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, but his migraine headaches secondary to a service-connected disability are denied.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for her service-connected migraines is being remanded due to the need for updated medical records.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for cervical spine disorder, headache disorder, low back disorder, left knee disorder, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder (IBS), lower left extremity neuropathy, and upper left extremity neuropathy have been granted. Service connection is now established for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an examination, but has not yet made a final decision on whether service connection should be granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for lumbar traumatic arthritis and left knee reconstruction have been dismissed due to withdrawal.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to September 17, 2013 for PTSD has been remanded as the Board cannot adjudicate it without first determining if there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision assigning that effective date.,The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to July 12, 1999 for migraine headaches and hemiplegic migraines has also been remanded as the Board cannot adjudicate it without first determining if there was clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision assigning that effective date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of his claimed conditions, particularly sinusitis. The Veteran is also required to provide any outstanding private treatment records from Drs. R.M., MD, D.M.C., MD, and Vanderbilt Medical Center.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.,Specifically, the Veteran's bilateral shoulder and wrist disabilities, heart disability, severe headache disability, PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder are being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right foot disabilities, hypertension, scars of the forehead and right wrist, chronic headaches, and sleep apnea. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The rating for PTSD remains at 70 percent, and the ratings for TBI, tension headaches, left lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy are all denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, bilateral tinnitus, and migraines are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal of the increased rating claim for a headache disability is dismissed.,A 40 percent rating for residuals of bilateral temporomandibular joints fracture (TMJ) is granted, effective from September 10, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for left hand disability was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.,The Veteran does not have current diagnoses of bilateral shin splints, right ankle disability, sinusitis, or headaches.

The Veteran's claims for benign vertigo, acne, temporomandibular joint condition, and migraine headaches have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Veteran was granted effective dates of August 5, 2014 for service connection and a disability rating for right shoulder arthritis, scar status post-surgical repair right shoulder, and post-surgical residuals right shoulder. The claims were denied for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, left shoulder disorder, lung disorder, thyroid disorder, and headache disorder (secondary to service-connected disability).,The effective dates of August 5, 2014 are granted for the grants of service connection and a disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of his headaches is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether his service-connected Hepatitis C or related treatment has aggravated his claimed headache disability.