Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is granted, and the claims for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, GERD and migraine headaches as secondary to PTSD due to a new theory of entitlement raised by the Veteran's attorney.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, sinusitis, right elbow disability, left foot disability, gastroesophageal condition (gastritis), left hip disability, and right shoulder disability are all found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for headaches prior to June 30, 2016.,However, the Veteran's PTSD claim was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for headaches is granted, but not with an earlier effective date.

The Board has remanded the claims for headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD with sleep disorder), degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, and a nerve disability due to additional development being required.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to issues related to his psychiatric disorder, ACoA aneurysm status post craniotomy, cognitive deficits and dementia, headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional in-service records and provide medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of these conditions.

The Board is unable to make a decision on the service connection claims for kidney stone disease and migraine headaches due to incomplete medical records. The Veteran's Social Security Administration (SSA) disability award letter lists chronic kidney stones and chronic headaches as severe impairments, but the associated medical records are not in the VA record. The Board must obtain these SSA records before deciding whether new evidence has been received to reopen the claims.

The Veteran's MDD was granted an initial rating of 70 percent, effective December 19, 2012.,The Veteran's headaches were denied a higher than 30 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a headache disorder as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence, including medical records, and undergo an examination to determine if he has any new disabilities related to his hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to headaches, OSA, insomnia, and tinnitus have been reopened. The VA has granted these claims.,A rating of 20 percent for lumbar spine spondylosis (lumbar spine disability) is restored.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability and a headache disorder as aggravated by service-connected tinnitus due to inadequate reasoning in previous decisions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for headaches and sleep apnea due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's current headache disability is not related to his service-connected disabilities, while the claim for sleep apnea requires further examination as the November 2019 VA examiner did not address earlier findings that reflect sleep apnea or another sleep disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and total disability rating based on individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities (TDIU). Specifically, the AOJ must obtain the August 2017 audiogram results referenced in the Veteran’s statements and clarify if a performance intensity function test was performed during the May 2018 private audiological evaluation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including headaches, kidney disability, anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, left thumb disability, broken ribs residuals, lipoma scar, and bilateral pes cavus. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for headaches, his claim of service connection for a kidney disability remains pending, he must provide new evidence to reopen his previously denied claim, he needs to establish service connection for anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, left thumb disability, broken ribs residuals, lipoma scar, and bilateral pes cavus. The Board will review the claims again after obtaining any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for PTSD and TBI, as well as a compensable initial rating for migraine headaches, was denied. The case is remanded for further action on the issue of TDIU.

The Veteran's trigeminal neuralgia associated with left periorbital headache is rated at 10 percent from September 2, 2010 to October 7, 2019 and at 30 percent from October 8, 2019 onwards. The appeal for higher ratings has been denied.

The Veteran's appeals for higher disability ratings for OSA, hypertension, and headaches have been withdrawn. The claims of higher disability ratings for bilateral knee instability, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis, right knee retropatellar pain syndrome with degenerative arthritis, and cervical spine degenerative disc disease are being remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, and headaches disabilities. The claims for right knee and low back disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and migraine headaches have been denied. The VA has determined that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions.