Migraines & headaches decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for a revision of the April 1997 rating decision due to new and material evidence being submitted within one year of the decision. The Board also granted service connection for residuals of stroke, finding that her condition is related to an in-service assault.

The Veteran's tinnitus, spinal disability, and headaches are all found to be related to service. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the spinal condition and headaches.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, migraine headaches, left knee osteoarthritis, and right toe disabilities, were found to be severe enough to prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment from July 28, 2014 to November 1, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine traumatic arthritis and thoracolumbar spine chronic mechanical syndrome, left knee chondromalacia of the patella, right knee osteoarthritis to include ACL deficiency, and headaches as secondary to service-connected cervical spine traumatic arthritis.,The Veteran's diagnoses are supported by medical opinions linking his conditions to military service.

The Board has found that additional development is required for each of the appealed claims, resulting in unavoidable delay of the Board's adjudication. The Veteran will need to undergo further examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of her service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating and a rating in excess of 10 percent from December 16, 2016, for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) with vestibulopathy due to inadequate reasoning regarding whether the Veteran's headaches are related to his service-connected TBI.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and adjudication due to incomplete medical records and need for additional opinions regarding service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, radiculopathy, and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient consideration of relevant service treatment records. The Veteran's migraine headaches claim is also remanded as there are no adequate opinions regarding his rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA, finding that an effective date prior to January 13, 2017 is not warranted due to lack of a pending formal or informal claim for TDIU in previous final decisions.

The Veteran's combined service-connected rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) has been referred to the Director, VA Compensation Service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hiatal hernia, SMC based on aid and attendance, and TDIU prior to July 20, 2015 due to conflicting opinions regarding the preexistence of the hiatal hernia and its relation to service.

Service connection is granted for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) and Headaches, both conditions that began during service.

The Veteran's trigeminal nerve damage with sensory impairment and hyperesthesia is granted a rating in excess of 30 percent on an extra-schedular basis. The sinusitis with headaches and maxillary sinus fracture residuals are denied a higher rating on the same basis.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection. The Veteran's claims for neck disability, head injury residuals, shoulder disabilities, and headaches are being reviewed again as the VA examiners did not consider the lay evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, gout, and hypertension. The Veteran's claims were dismissed due to the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.,Service connection was not granted for a back disability, sleep apnea, gout, or hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to April 15, 2019.

The Board dismissed the appeals for higher initial rating for right hand thumb strain, service connection for right and left leg shin splints, and service connection for a skin disorder. The appeals for reopening service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted. Service connection was denied for headache disorder, lumbar spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, left ankle disorder, and sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations due to insufficient evidence, including outdated VA treatment records and a need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache condition has been reopened. The Board has decided to remand the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and entitlement to service connection for a headache condition.