Migraines & headaches decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD, IBS, and migraines/headaches to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and denied service connection for various other conditions, including cluster headaches, traumatic brain injury, allergic rhinitis, and others. Some claims were remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for right knee osteoarthritis with meniscal tear and initial rating of 50 percent for migraines with dizziness were granted, while the initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left first MCP partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament was denied.

The Board denied a compensable disability rating for tension headaches but granted a 10 percent evaluation based upon multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities from October 8, 2015, through September 6, 2016.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease as secondary to PTSD. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches effective August 26, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, vertigo/disbalance, and a thyroid disorder but remanded claims for allergic rhinitis, left tonsil cancer, headache disorder, pulmonary granulomatosis, and dysphagia.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder was granted an increased rating of 70 percent, but no higher, from December 31, 2019. Other claims were denied.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted a 50 percent rating, while the claims for increased ratings for major depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder, allergic rhinitis, lumbosacral strain, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied. A separate 10 percent rating was granted from June 17, 2020, for slight left knee instability, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was also denied.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hip condition, headaches/migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but denied service connection for a left knee condition. The issues of service connection for cervical strain, bilateral foot condition, rating in excess of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a respiratory condition, chronic headaches, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and a left knee condition. It also granted increased ratings for nephrolithiasis (kidney stones), right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity restless leg syndrome, right lower extremity restless leg syndrome, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 30 percent for tension headaches and a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for migraines and a 50 percent rating for tension headaches, as the Veteran's symptoms manifested during her active service and have persisted since.

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a migraine headache disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension associated with herbicide exposure was denied, as was the request for an earlier effective date.

The appeal for service connection for migraine headaches was dismissed due to the untimely filing of a notice of disagreement.

The Board granted an effective date of September 25, 2014, for the grant of a 50 percent rating for migraines and an initial 30 percent rating, effective June 5, 2009.

The Board remands the claims for a TBI and migraines to obtain additional VA examinations to address conflicting conclusions in the evidence of record.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are granted a 50 percent rating, while her GERD is denied an increased rating. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and PTSD was granted.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraines, GERD, and an initial compensable disability rating for IBS to obtain additional medical opinions.

The appeal was denied for an increased rating of tinnitus and remanded for further development on other service connection claims.

The appeal was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) more than a year after the relevant rating decisions were issued.