Migraines & headaches decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches has been granted. The effective date of the award is December 30, 2012.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted with an effective date of December 30, 2012.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including headaches, skin disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, degenerative joint disease of the right hip, and a right knee disability. The remand requires additional development for each issue.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the July 2014 rating decision. The claim for service connection for headaches is reopened, but a VA examination is needed to determine if there is any link between his low back disability and headaches.,A VA examination is required to assess whether the Veteran's current headache conditions are related to his active duty or to his low back disability.

The Veteran's migraines are very frequent, completely prostrating, and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. The Board finds that a 50 percent rating is warranted for the Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility criteria for special monthly compensation based on housebound status as he does not have a single, permanent service-connected disability rated at 100 percent and is not permanently housebound by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 20, 2012 for service connection of headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder (not including chronic adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder) have been denied.,Service connection has been granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder (not including chronic adjustment disorder and anxiety disorder), but the Veteran's claim for a left knee disorder was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for tension headaches was denied, and the issue of service connection for a left clavicle disorder was remanded. The case is now pending with instructions to provide a VA examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depressive disorder and anxious distress has been rated at 30 percent, but the Board has determined that a higher rating of 70 percent is warranted due to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, TBI, neck disability, migraine and/or tension headaches, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD). The reasons provided include a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any in-service injury. The Board has also noted that there is no continuous symptomatology for hypertension within one year of discharge.,The Veteran's claims for TBI, neck disability, migraine and/or tension headaches, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are remanded as the Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's migraine headaches were restored to a 30 percent rating effective November 7, 2018. The appeal was granted for restoration of the prior rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a neurological disorder manifested by headaches and an eye twitch was dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of an initial rating higher than 30 percent for residuals of a left tibia fracture with arthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches, and an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis due to the need for further medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a traumatic brain injury, an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, and an increased compensable rating from January 29, 2014 and continuing thereafter for status-post right inguinal hernia repair has been dismissed.,An initial rating of 70 percent from January 29, 2014 and continuing thereafter for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is granted.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's headache disorder is service connected, but has not yet made a decision on his tinnitus claim. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were remanded due to incomplete or insufficient evidence. The lumbar spine disability was rated at 20 percent, bilateral knee disabilities at 10 percent, right ankle disability at 10 percent, tinnitus at 10 percent, and migraine disability at noncompensable. Service connection for elbow, hand, left ankle, IBS, GERD, upper extremity nerve disorder, and lower extremity nerve disorder were denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting opinions on whether the Veteran currently has a headache disability and its relationship to service. The Veteran will need to undergo another VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issues of service connection for sleep apnea and migraine headaches are remanded due to procedural errors.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inconsistencies in the VA examination report and new evidence received since the last decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's migraines are related to service, including exposure to cold temperatures during service. The case will be readjudicated after a supplemental VA medical opinion is obtained.