Migraines & headaches decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for headaches due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to comply with remand directives. The AOJ is required to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's headaches, including consideration of his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma from tank discharges.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable initial rating for migraine headaches has been dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for a rating in excess of 50 percent for migraines and a compensable rating for ingrown toenails were dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches (claimed as migraines), to include as secondary to her service-connected hypertension and TMJ, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, a sleep disability, a lumbar spine disability, and a migraine disability due to inadequate VA examinations and lack of adequate rationale in the previous decisions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of headaches is granted, with the effective date set at December 7, 2009. The Veteran previously sought service connection for headaches in October 1995 and again in December 2009.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased rating of migraines, service connection for vertigo, and service connection for tinnitus. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Board has granted an effective date of March 4, 2019 for the award of a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches. The Veteran's claim was received on October 4, 2019, and she provided evidence indicating her condition worsened prior to this date.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. His migraine headaches are granted with a 50% rating effective April 30, 2021. The right and left ankle conditions are denied.

The Veteran's effective date for service connection for migraine headaches is March 29, 2019. The Board has determined that the earlier effective date requested by the Veteran is not warranted.,The claims of entitlement to service connection for hepatic hemangioma, acute enteritis, hepatic steatosis (liver condition), and gastric and duodenal ulcer are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions addressing both causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee degenerative osteoarthritis, left knee degenerative osteoarthritis, right shoulder strain, and left shoulder strain are denied as there is no evidence of a claim prior to July 18, 2022.,The Veteran's claim for migraines has been reopened due to new and relevant evidence. The claims will be readjudicated.

The Veteran's headache disability is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has found that his cervical spine disability warrants a remand for further examination to determine its current severity. The issue of service connection for vertigo as secondary to the cervical spine disability also requires additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for vertigo/loss balance issue/dizziness has been granted. The claims of service connection for migraines and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for headaches, back disability, left knee condition, and right knee condition due to a duty to assist error in not obtaining adequate examination opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions as secondary to her service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, or non-service connected TMD.

The Veteran's headaches are not considered severe enough to warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, as they do not result in significant economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines, right elbow disability, and knee disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's neck and right shoulder disabilities have been granted service connection, as they are related to her military service. Her headaches and allergic rhinitis appeals were dismissed due to the grant of separate ratings for these conditions in prior decisions.,Service connection has also been established for tinnitus, which is considered a presumptive condition under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records, particularly regarding his service-connected migraine headaches and TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and a cervical spine disability due to potential errors in the duty-to-assist process, particularly related to exposure to environmental hazards under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia was denied, and her TDIU was granted with an effective date of July 28, 2015. The decision is based on the Veteran's service-connected conditions.