Migraines & headaches decisions — 2025

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for migraines as the evidence did not show characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month or more over the last several months.

The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for epilepsy, psychomotor and service connection for right middle finger scar. Several claims were withdrawn and dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, headaches, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy but granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The rating for a deviated nasal septum was restored from May 24, 2024.

The appeal for service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia, elevated PSA, and erectile dysfunction was withdrawn by the Veteran. The claims for chronic kidney disease, COPD, and headaches were remanded for further development.

The Board granted an effective date of April 18, 2019 for the grant of a 50 percent disability rating for migraine headaches and denied entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for the same condition from August 3, 2016 to April 17, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and broken-jaw residuals (TMJD) as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied service connection for headache, back, neck, and left shoulder disabilities as the conditions were not shown to be chronic in service or manifest within the applicable presumptive period; continuity of symptomatology was not established; and there was no evidence linking the disabilities to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's migraines, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches including migraine variants, effective from April 21, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and major depressive disorder. The headaches and obstructive sleep apnea claims were remanded.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for head injury due to an inadequate medical opinion that failed to consider the Veteran's reported symptoms.

The Board remands the case to correct an error by the AOJ in satisfying a regulatory duty related to notice of the right to a hearing before VA issues notice of a decision on an initial or supplemental claim.

The Board restored the 30 percent rating for migraine headaches and remanded the claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and denied it for chronic fatigue syndrome, while remanding several other issues including obstructive sleep apnea, lower back strain, and TDIU.

The maximum 50 percent disability rating for the Veteran's migraine headaches is granted based on a disability picture that more nearly approximates symptoms of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for migraines and remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral dry eyes and rectal bleeding due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private medical records and updated TERA opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for migraines, finding that a rating of 50 percent was not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board remands the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches and a compensable disability rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to obtain retrospective opinions on the severity of these disabilities without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance and an earlier effective date for service connection of schizoaffective disorder.