Migraines & headaches decisions — 2022

The Board has denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and remanded the issue of service connection for migraine headaches due to lack of objective indications of a qualifying chronic disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation due to incomplete records, lack of medical opinions on all claimed stressors, and need for additional examination.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for fibromyalgia, headache disorder, and gastrointestinal disorder was granted.,The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for service connection for fibromyalgia is denied.

A 50 percent rating is granted for an anxiety disorder prior to October 24, 2016. Service connection for a headache disorder and lumbar spine disorder is reopened.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis has been dismissed.,Service connection for headaches is granted, with the Board resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded.,No effective date has been assigned as the issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from August 14, 2014 to April 5, 2018. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on these findings.

The Veteran's OSA and heart disorder are denied as secondary to the service-connected asthma.,The Veteran's headache disorder is not related to his service.

The Veteran's headaches prior to March 20, 2017 were not completely prostrating and did not result in severe economic inadaptability.,For the entire period on appeal, the Veteran's headaches were manifested by characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from December 16, 2016 due to her service-connected disabilities making it impossible for her to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, low back disability, cervical spine disability, left knee disability, and right ankle disability. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also being remanded due to its inextricability with other issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for headaches and vasomotor rhinitis, as well as service connection for muscle aches including fibromyalgia pain, rectal bleeding, and an epigastric and/or gastrointestinal disability. The issues have been referred to the AOJ for adjudication of the sinusitis claim.

The Veteran's cluster headaches are rated at 50% effective from the date of the May 2018 rating decision, which granted service connection for cluster headaches and increased the rating to 30% in March 2018. The Board has now granted a higher 50% rating based on very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and headaches are found to be proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, warranting the grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has decided that the reduction of the disability rating for migraine headaches from 30 percent to 0 percent was improper, and a restoration of the 30 percent rating is granted. The issue of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected migraine headaches is remanded.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, leaving no issues for the Board to consider.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for color blindness, a neurological disability manifested by memory loss and headaches, and a psychiatric disorder to include depressive disorder, dysthymia, and generalized anxiety. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions were related to active duty service or any other factor.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened. The Board finds new and material evidence to support the reopening of this claim, but remands the claims for PTSD and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD due to lack of adequate VA opinions. The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is also remanded as it requires additional secondary service connection opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's PTSD with Depressive Disorder was granted effective October 26, 2011. The other disabilities were granted effective July 13, 2011.