Migraines & headaches decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to potential missing VA and SSA records that may be relevant to his conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches are related to her military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,The Veteran's migraine condition is rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology is not established; and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability is not etiologically related to active service.,The Board concludes that, while the Veteran may experience symptoms of anxiety or depression, the evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that any acquired psychiatric disorder began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is therefore denied.,The Board concludes that the claims must be remanded to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors. Review of the claims file does not confirm that the Veteran was stationed in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. In this regard, the Board believes that additional efforts to determine whether the Veteran had active duty service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War are needed.,The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, CFS, fibromyalgia, and migraines, which he argues are due to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). While the Veteran has consistently argued that he participated in TERA, this has not been verified by the RO. The Board finds it necessary to remand the Veteran's claims so that his potential TERA can be verified by the RO.,The Veteran seeks service connection for low back pain with intervertebral disc syndrome. He reports that he injured his back during a patrol in 2005 and contends that his current back disability is related to this injury. Remand is necessary to obtain the Veteran's complete military personnel records to ascertain whether his 2005 back injury happened during a period of ADT or IDT.,The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension, CFS, fibromyalgia, and migraines. He contends that his disabilities are related to toxic exposures during service in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veteran's October 2002 DD-214 confirms that the Veteran served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine arthritis and disc disease, skin disease, migraine headaches, and fibromyalgia due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's lay statements regarding service experiences will be considered in the medical opinions.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are caused by his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder. The claims for increased ratings for left and right hip disabilities based on limitation of abduction, flexion, and extension are remanded.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, right wrist disability, right hand disability, respiratory disability other than obstructive sleep apnea, and headache disability. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for migraines.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for his lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his tension headaches is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder acromioclavicular joint separation is denied.

The Veteran's claims for insomnia and headaches have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,For the bilateral plantar fasciitis, meralgia paresthetica (right and left), the Board has found that remand is necessary due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's TBI with PTSD was granted a disability rating of 70 percent effective May 6, 2021. The other conditions were denied.

The Veteran's ratings for migraines and PTSD were restored, while the rating for TBI was restored to a separate 40% level. The reduction in migraines' rating from 30% to 10% is granted, as well as restoring the separate rating for TBI.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left leg disability is denied as there is insufficient evidence of a current disability at any point during or approximate to the pendency of her claim.,The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for right thigh limitation of extension and impairment are denied due to lack of evidence showing functional impairment related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, dermatitis, fatigue or cognitive dysfunction, joint pain, and tension headaches, have been dismissed as the appeal has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's headaches are currently rated at 30 percent prior to November 25, 2020 and in excess of 30 percent prior to February 5, 2021.,Service connection for polyarthritis palindromic rheumatism of fingers and feet was granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right arm disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, and headaches. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors and potential PACT Act exposure issues.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to the cumulative effects of his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to August 23, 2018 is denied as no formal or informal claims were received by VA prior to that date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic headaches and erectile dysfunction, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a nexus to service-connected conditions.