Migraines & headaches decisions — 2024

The Board granted an initial 50 percent disability rating for headaches for the period prior to May 22, 2023, but denied an earlier effective date than May 10, 2016, for the grant of service connection for a headache disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for headaches, IBS, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been granted. Headaches are secondary to degenerative arthritis of the spine, IBS is linked to in-service symptoms that persisted post-service, and anxiety, depression, and PTSD are related to a witnessed traumatic incident during service.

The Veteran's headache disability is found to have originated during his active service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board granted an initial 10 percent rating for tension headaches, finding that the Veteran's headaches are productive of disability commensurate with characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months.

The Veteran's headaches are granted as secondary to service-connected tinnitus. The scar to the forehead, left knee disability, and left arm disability are denied. Service connection for pes planus is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation starting November 1, 2013. Effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits are set to November 1, 2013.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 50% effective October 15, 2021, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks capable of producing severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to a failure to schedule VA examinations. The Veteran was scheduled but did not attend, and good cause is found for this failure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic headaches is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher rating for GERD with laryngopharyngeal reflux.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraines and GERD to obtain medical opinions pursuant to the PACT Act.

The Board denied a compensable rating for tension headaches as the evidence did not show characteristic prostrating attacks that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected tension headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches as the Veteran's preexisting condition did not worsen during service and was not shown to have manifested within one year of separation.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an initial rating of 30 percent for migraine headaches. The Veteran's OSA is found to be caused by his already service-connected GERD, while his migraines are characterized by characteristic prostrating attacks occurring once a month.

The Veteran's migraines are rated at 50 percent from September 17, 2018 to November 16, 2020 and again from June 25, 2021. Service connection for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeal for irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, migraines/headaches, left knee strain, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder strain as the appellant requested a withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of an acquired psychiatric disorder.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinnitus was also denied as his symptoms are already at the maximum schedular rating.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in January 2021 was inadequate and requires a new opinion to address whether the Veteran's claimed headaches are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for migraine headaches is granted, effective October 4, 2018. The Board found the evidence in approximate balance regarding the frequency and economic impact of his severe headache episodes.