Migraines & headaches decisions — 2024

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for tension headaches and lightheadedness, as well as tinnitus. The Veteran's appeal is being held due to a duty-to-assist error where relevant private treatment records were not obtained.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), headaches, bilateral eye refractive error, cervical spine disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, bilateral hip/thigh disorder, bilateral upper and lower extremity nerve damage, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and dry skin disorder. The denial is based on the lack of diagnosed conditions in service or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Veteran's migraines are related to service and have been granted service connection.,The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is related to service and has been granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and headache disability. The Veteran's current conditions are reasonably shown to have had onset in service.,Service connection is established for the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine, right knee, and headache disabilities based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his TDIU claim due to the unavailability of a referral to the Director under current regulations.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of Individual Unemployability (TDIU) and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The Board denied both claims.,For TDIU, the evidence did not show that the Veteran was unemployable prior to August 29, 2017. For DEA, eligibility was based on the effective date for TDIU.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's migraines, effective September 13, 2019.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various conditions due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The lumbosacral strain claim is denied, and the hearing loss claim is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for headaches, including as secondary to tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records. The issues of TBI, psychiatric disability, sleep impairment, headache, vestibular disorder, shoulder disabilities, knee, ankle, foot, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been denied. The Board also remanded several other issues, including service connection claims for various conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 50 percent disability rating for migraine headaches has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for migraine headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), and bipolar disorder due to incomplete and inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's lay statements are also considered in these decisions.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress and traumatic brain injury has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since January 2022, qualifying for a TDIU. Additionally, the Veteran is in receipt of SMC at the housebound rate due to additional service-connected disabilities. The claim for bilateral pes planus remains pending as it involves duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's tinnitus, headaches, and vertigo are granted service connection. However, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for anxiety is remanded as a VA examination is required.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right foot frostbite disability or any other disability characterized by symptoms resulting in functional impairment of earning capacity related to service. The evidence does not support finding that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his military service.,The Veteran contends that he has migraine headaches due to sleep apnea, which is already service-connected. However, a VA examination was not provided for this claim.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted as secondary to his service-connected major depression. The claims for hypertension and OSA are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for his service-connected tension and cluster headaches is being remanded due to a lack of information on the frequency, severity, and duration of his headaches. The VA needs to conduct a thorough examination to provide adequate evidence for evaluating the disability.