Migraines & headaches decisions — 2025

The Board denied service connection for chronic headaches, to include migraines, and chronic rhinitis, as well as a compensable disability rating for sinusitis and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 31, 2019, for the award of service connection for migraines.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated as 10 percent disabling, and the claims for service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, a back disability, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral nerve condition are remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, restless leg syndrome, and migraines but granted a 20 percent rating for undiagnosed illness with symptoms of joint ache and fatigue. Service connection was also denied for chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's service-connected headaches were granted a rating of 50 percent from April 10, 2017, through November 26, 2019, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Board granted service connection for a headache condition and a lower back condition, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether these conditions began during or as a result of active service.

The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and bilateral hearing loss, while denying service connection for asthma, anxiety disorder, adjustment disorder, depressive disorder, GERD, migraines (also claimed as headaches), insomnia, left hip disability, right hip disability, and plantar fasciitis.

The Board granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae, migraines, hypertension, low back condition, left and right lower extremity radiculopathies as secondary to the low back condition, cervical strain with degenerative changes of the cervical spine, left and right upper extremity radiculopathies as secondary to the cervical strain, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee condition, left and right ankle conditions.

The Board restored the 30 percent rating for migraines effective June 8, 2024, and granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches and remanded claims for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and an initial increased rating for traumatic brain injury with generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and asthma, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for migraines due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the current disability and active duty service.

The Board granted an increased initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, denied ratings in excess of 30 percent for functional abdominal pain syndrome and migraine, and granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for severe migraines, chronic lower back pain condition, acquired psychiatric disability, and high blood pressure condition due to missing records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hand arthritis and remanded claims for acute sinusitis, a bilateral knee disability, a bilateral ankle disability, headaches, right index finger fracture, and loss of focus or speech deficit.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension, finding that the evidence shows his migraine headaches are aggravated by his hypertension.

The Board remands the claims for a back strain with spondylosis and vascular migraine headaches to obtain additional medical opinions without the impact of medication.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher disability ratings, as well as denied a compensable rating for left and right hip strains with impairment.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and headaches, granted a 20 percent rating for dry eye syndrome, and denied a compensable rating for left eye chorioretinal scar and a higher rating for major depressive disorder.