Migraines & headaches decisions — 2023

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected chronic headaches was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent, as his headaches were not characterized by very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 5, 2012. The Board denied entitlement to a TDIU prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for headaches and sleep apnea due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran's claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's migraines are rated at 50% from January 31, 2015.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is rated at 100% from January 31, 2015.,The Veteran's Addison's disease with hypothyroidism, hypotestosteronism, and growth hormone deficiency is rated at 60% from January 31, 2015.

The Veteran's migraines are granted a 50% disability rating from October 2, 2018 to November 21, 2019. The TDIU is granted for the period prior to May 21, 2018 and from May 21, 2018 to November 20, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for DM, right shoulder disability, and other conditions was denied. The application to reopen the DM claim was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The rating for the right shoulder disability remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and chronic fatigue syndrome have been granted. The claim for chronic fatigue syndrome is remanded due to the need for a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's right fourth finger fracture is currently rated noncompensably disabling, as the disability does not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,For GERD prior to November 15, 2019, the Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable rating. The Board found no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher evaluation.,Beginning November 15, 2019, the Veteran's GERD is rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board noted that while the Veteran has infrequent episodes of epigastric distress and vomiting, these do not meet criteria for a higher rating.,For migraine headaches prior to November 15, 2019, the Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable rating. The Board found no evidence of prostrating attacks warranting a higher evaluation.

The appeals for service connection on all issues have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's posttraumatic migraine headaches are rated at 50% effective November 14, 2014. The Board also granted TDIU prior to July 27, 2016, due to the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for tinnitus and migraines, sleep apnea as secondary to sinusitis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates remain pending.

The Veteran's disability rating for service-connected migraine headaches was reduced from a 50 percent to noncompensable from May 1, 2017 to April 15, 2019. The Board found that the reduction was improper and restored the 50 percent rating.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those for service connection for bipolar disorder, increased evaluations for thoracolumbar strain and migraine headaches, and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected right arm numbness/tingling, TBI residuals, thoracolumbar spine spondylosis, and migraine headaches. The appeals are also remanded for a new examination to determine if there was any in-service causation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined rating of service-connected disabilities has been at least 100 percent throughout the appeal period, and he was not found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals to reopen his claims for service connection for headaches, bilateral hand and feet numbness, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and sexual dysfunction. The appeals are now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's post-traumatic headaches were rated at 30 percent prior to November 25, 2015. From that date, the Veteran was granted a rating of 50 percent for his headaches.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral knee disorders, abdominal pain (hernias), headache disorder, mental health disorder, and hypertension, have been denied.,There is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's neck disability and its relationship to her service-connected low back disability and right lower extremity disability. The issues of reopening claims for service connection for headaches, right upper extremity disabilities, and left shoulder disabilities are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The AOJ is instructed to identify these periods and obtain all outstanding service treatment records.