Migraines & headaches decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for migraines and a 30 percent rating for chronic urticaria, while denying a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis and service connection for frost bite residuals.

The appeal is remanded to the VA Regional Office for adjudication of a substitution request and readjudication of the claims.

The Board remands the claim for a headache disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether it is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied an initial disability rating greater than 70 percent for service-connected residuals of traumatic brain injury and remanded the claim for a separate disability rating for headache episode residuals of TBI.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, general anxiety disorder, and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, but denied service connection for allergic rhinitis. The Board also granted a 20 percent initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from September 19, 2024, and denied higher ratings for tension headaches.

The Board granted an initial rating of 50 percent for tension and cluster headaches, a rating of 50 percent for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity effective May 7, 2024, and denied higher ratings for CTS and cervical radiculopathy of the right upper extremity.

The Board denied increased ratings for migraines and chronic sinusitis, granted service connection for allergic rhinitis as secondary to the service-connected sinusitis, and granted a 30 percent rating for chronic constipation.

The Board granted an increased 30 percent rating for tension migraine from February 6, 2024, to March 13, 2024, and a 50 percent rating for sleep apnea. It denied all other claims.

The Board denied service connection for left and right heel spurs with plantar fasciitis, GERD, and an initial compensable rating for hypertension. The issue of whether a reduction in rating from 30 percent disabling to noncompensable, for migraine headaches, effective November 16, 2023, was proper, is dismissed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for headaches, right hip limitation of extension, and right hip limitation of flexion as they did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's psoriasiform dermatitis was granted a 60 percent disability rating, while the other issues were remanded for further development.

The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for asthma with obstructive sleep apnea prior to April 9, 2013, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.

The Board denied service connection for cervical dysplasia, tension headaches, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and denied increased ratings for right elbow flexion, supination and pronation, extension, and scars. The Board also remanded claims for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right knee condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, low back condition with right side leg pain, left knee condition, hypertension, headaches, respiratory condition, and psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of a chronic disability that meets the criteria for service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 or direct service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to May 28, 2015.

The Veteran withdrew all pending claims and appeals, resulting in the dismissal of the service connection and increased rating appeals.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches was granted, effective November 1, 2022. The claims for a higher rating for tinnitus and TDIU were denied.

The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches, circumcision scar, urinary tract condition (including residuals of gonorrhea, recurrent urinary tract infections, and BPH), degenerative disc disease, and left leg condition (including radiculopathy). The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The appeal for service connection for migraines, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and tinnitus has been withdrawn by the appellant.