Migraines & headaches decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin condition (including scars), and headache condition due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he can still secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation with his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's headaches are rated at 50 percent, and her bronchial asthma is rated at 30 percent. The TDIU claim for prior to August 25, 2016 was granted.

The Veteran's left knee disability was restored to a 20 percent rating from November 1, 2020. The Board found the reduction of his left knee disability rating to 10 percent in September 2017 was not properly made and granted restoration.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected conditions, specifically left temporal parietal arteriovenous malformation and headaches, as well as his anxiety disorder.

The Board has remanded three issues for further development: service connection for allergic rhinitis, headache disability, and erectile dysfunction. The remaining foot disabilities are also being remanded.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia and headaches have been granted service connection, with a rating of 40 percent for fibromyalgia effective from June 11, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, but remanded the issue of left knee disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's tension headaches are found to have started in service and continued since then.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obesity, bilateral foot condition, tension headaches, and menstruation disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% from June 30, 2016. The decision on Cluster Headaches and TDIU remains pending.

The Board has granted a TDIU due to service-connected PTSD and headaches. The issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, secondary to PTSD, is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the claim for chronic headaches, which are claimed as secondary to service-connected tinnitus. The remand is due to an incomplete VA medical opinion that did not address whether the Veteran's tinnitus aggravates his headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, including as secondary to his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current tension headache disability and active service or to the service-connected GERD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD with anxiety, low back strain with L-5 spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are denied. The claim to reopen entitlement to service connection for right and left knee disabilities is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, left lower extremity disorder, psychiatric disorders (including PTSD), sleep disorder, and headaches have been denied. The Board has not yet examined the Veteran regarding these issues.

The Veteran's migraine headaches and insomnia disorder have been granted higher initial ratings of 30 percent each since March 1, 2019. The evidence shows that the migraines cause frequent but not severe economic inadaptability, while the insomnia disorder causes occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, sleep apnea, and migraines, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal as to the October 2018 decision that granted a separate noncompensable rating for a headache disability is valid. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for a headache disability must be remanded for issuance of a SOC.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined issue of increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities. The VA will address these issues before making a final decision on the TDIU.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's posttraumatic headaches, finding that his symptoms are characterized by very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an enlarged lymph nodes disorder of the left neck, submandibular, cervical, and left apical areas was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for connective tissue disorder (SLE), seborrhea of the scalp, post-operative left inguinal hernia, and headaches were also denied.