Migraines & headaches decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for updated examinations.

The Board has remanded several claims for additional evidence, including private treatment records from the Veteran's healthcare providers. The Veteran is advised to provide authorization forms for these records.

The Veteran's headaches were granted a 50% disability rating effective September 28, 2017. However, his TDIU claim was denied as he is not unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is entitled to an earlier effective date of April 14, 2008 for a TDIU due to her service-connected disabilities and inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has granted an initial 50 percent rating for chronic headaches, variously diagnosed as migraine headaches, tension headaches, and muscle contraction headaches. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is also on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disability, right ear hearing loss, and bilateral knee disabilities have all been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current disabilities related to these conditions.,There is no evidence of any in-service injury or disease related to the Veteran’s current headaches, hearing loss, or knee disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues raised by a Joint Motion, including failure to consider ameliorative effects of medications and definition of terms like 'very frequent' and 'prolonged'. The Veteran is required to be re-evaluated for his service-connected migraine headaches.

The Veteran's initial rating for migraine headaches was granted at 50 percent prior to October 15, 2013. A higher rating is denied. The Veteran withdrew his appeal for TDIU.

The claim of service connection for vitreous detached retina is dismissed. The claim of service connection for chronic migraine headaches is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, which is related to his service-connected PTSD and hypertension, has been granted. However, the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids remains denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various undiagnosed illnesses are remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional records from Social Security Administration.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for migraines, PTSD with TBI (also claimed as anxiety), and plantar fasciitis of the right foot due to insufficient evidence.,No effective date earlier than August 7, 2017 is granted for the grants of service connection.

All claims for service connection related to bilateral otosclerosis with impaired hearing, post-operative stapedectomies have been dismissed.,The claim for service connection for a right knee disability as secondary to bilateral otosclerosis with impaired hearing, post-operative stapedectomies is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted as secondary to her service-connected right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome. The claims for nerve impairment of the right lower extremity, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a staph infection/gum disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for a headache disability, rating of low back strain with spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease, and ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a retrospective VA opinion to assess the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headaches.

The Veteran's headaches from August 17, 2017 to December 24, 2019 were denied a compensable evaluation. The Veteran's headaches from December 24, 2019 were denied an increased rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for GERD and migraines due to potential secondary service connection.