Migraines & headaches decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left eye disorder and headaches, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The Veteran is required to provide addendum VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, dementia due to other general medical conditions, vertigo, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and left ear tinnitus, prevent him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches should be remanded due to incomplete development and failure to notify the Veteran of a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50% rating prior to January 20, 2017. The Veteran's sinusitis was denied an initial compensable rating prior to January 20, 2017.

Service connection is granted for lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and headache condition.,Service connection is denied for acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression).

The appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, cardiovascular disability, migraine headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for post-traumatic headache disability was denied as the evidence did not show characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months. The Board found that his headaches occurred with less frequent attacks.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his service-connected GERD, diabetes mellitus, migraine headaches, and vertigo. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for GERD or diabetes mellitus, but the claims of service connection for migraine headaches and vertigo are being returned to the AOJ for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings and TDIU was remanded due to the need for further development. The effective date of service connection remains March 13, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a TBI has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and migraine headaches have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service or relationship to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, a back condition, residuals of TBI, and headaches. The decision found that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of fibromyalgia or any other claimed conditions during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, respiratory disability (asthma and COPD), back disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, headache disability, polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatoid arthritis, and voiding dysfunction are not service-connected. The claims for these conditions have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, migraine headaches, and right shoulder strain.,An effective date earlier than October 31, 2013 for the grant of service connection for migraine headaches and right shoulder strain was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for epilepsy and sinus tachycardia have been dismissed due to her withdrawal from appeal. The remaining issues of service connection, rating, and TDIU are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for tension headaches and restless leg syndrome as the Veteran withdrew his appeals prior to a decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all remaining issues on appeal, including those related to the conditions listed and service connection theories.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and chronic headaches, finding that there was no evidence of continuity of symptoms or a relationship to active duty.

The Board denied service connection for left and right eye disabilities, finding that they are not related to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headaches. The effective date of the hearing loss rating is set at March 27, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right eye disability, tension headaches, and lumbar strain due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's current right eye disability may be related to his in-service injury, but this needs further clarification.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines, sleep apnea, a disability manifested by high cholesterol (to include residuals of a stroke), and diabetes mellitus type II due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate medical opinions.