Migraines & headaches decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities due to his failure to report for VA examinations and his testimony that he was homeless during the time examination notices were sent.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a headache disability and service connection for numbness in the feet. The Veteran's claims are being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, low back pain, and PTSD were denied in a June 2009 rating decision. The appeals have been remanded.,New evidence received since the June 2009 denial has reopened the claim for service connection of PTSD.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional evidentiary development and a functional assessment of her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inextricably intertwined issues and for additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD and migraine headaches have been granted ratings of 50 percent each, effective as of the date of the decision. The TDIU issue has been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to November 13, 2015 for the grant of service connection for tension headaches is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for tension headaches is denied as it is already at the maximum schedular rating.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hip disorder is denied due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to active service.,The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension claim is remanded due to incomplete information regarding income and net worth.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asbestosis has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is established for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, tension headaches, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea, all of which are found to be related to the Veteran's service-connected herniated disc disorder.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at a 30 percent rating, effective October 23, 2017. The Board found the Veteran's headaches meet the criteria for this rating based on their frequency and impact.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The case for service connection of headaches, however, needs further examination due to lack of a recent VA examination.

The Board has dismissed all claims for earlier effective dates as the Veteran did not file an informal or formal claim prior to May 30, 2008 and the appeals are collaterally attacked.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examinations and private treatment records. The issues include increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes, service connection for bilateral leg disability and migraine headaches, and TDIU.

Service connection is granted for major depressive disorder.,The claim for service connection for a tonsil condition, low back disability, headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, BPH, nerve conditions of the lower and upper extremities, and skin rash is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete records and a missing VA examination report. The Veteran's claims for compensable ratings for left knee patellofemoral syndrome and migraine headaches are pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such severity to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

Service connection has been granted for headaches and gastrointestinal distress, both on a presumptive basis due to service in the Persian Gulf War.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's migraine headaches as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issues of service connection for sinusitis, headaches, and sleep apnea; an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee tendonitis with tendinosis; an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD; and an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to June 3, 2016 and in excess of 20 percent since then for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, headaches (secondary to sleep apnea), benign prostatic hypertrophy with urinary frequency, elbow bursitis, narcolepsy, and cataplexy are all granted. The effective dates for these conditions will be determined based on the specific claims and evidence provided.

The Veteran's claims for fatigue, functional gastrointestinal disorders (IBS), headaches, joint pain, and muscle pain have been remanded due to inadequate examinations. The conditions are presumed under the provisions for Persian Gulf War Veterans.