Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for migraine headaches, a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease, and TDIU. The Veteran's claims are related to his service-connected disabilities.

Bilateral hearing loss and chronic/recurrent right ankle strain are granted as service-connected.,Left knee arthritis, bunion and metatarsalgia of the right foot, bronchitis, and sinusitis are granted as secondary to service-connected right knee disability.,Left foot disability is denied.,Headaches are denied.

The Veteran's claims for stress, asbestos exposure, and psoriasis have been denied. The Veteran has hypertension, gout, obstructive sleep apnea, and headaches that need to be evaluated further.,The Veteran is not entitled to increased evaluations for his service-connected right and left ankle disabilities due to the lack of non-weight-bearing testing in the VA examination report.

The Veteran's migraine headaches were rated at a 30 percent disability rating prior to October 31, 2018. A higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition has been granted. The Board found that new evidence related to the unestablished fact necessary to substantiate this claim, which is the onset and etiology of the claimed condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability and his TDIU claim have both been denied. The Board found that there is no probative evidence of record indicating any in-service event, injury, or disease that would support a finding of service connection for the Veteran’s diagnosed disabilities. Additionally, the Veteran's assertions regarding the onset of his headaches are not credible due to inconsistency with other evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions, including lymphadenopathy, right shoulder disorder, arthritis, right wrist disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches, and tinnitus. The Veteran's period of service is noted to be during a period of INACDUTRA, which does not allow for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for service connection for dizziness and headaches, secondary to cervical spondylosis.

The Veteran's service connection for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, tension headaches, and low back disability have been granted with effective dates of March 26, 2010. The earlier effective date for TDIU has been remanded.,Service connection for a heart disability and hypertension remains pending and will be remanded.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability has been granted a 50% initial rating, effective January 1, 2010. He is also granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The claims for service connection of the right knee disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, residuals of an intestinal infection, and headache disorder have been withdrawn due to the grant of benefits.

The Board denied service connection for skin conditions, vision impairment of the left eye, and fainting episodes with headaches claimed as due to ionizing radiation exposure. The Veteran's skin condition was found not to be related to in-service radiation exposure but rather post-service x-ray studies. His other diagnosed conditions were also deemed unrelated to radiation exposure.

The Veteran's appeal regarding effective dates earlier than August 7, 2016 for service connection for various conditions was denied.,The Veteran's appeals regarding initial disability ratings were either not addressed or remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The claims for increased ratings for major depressive disorder, sinusitis, GERD with irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine headaches were also denied.

The claims for service connection for a back disability, sinusitis, respiratory disability, and headache disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for tension headaches (migraine headaches) prior to April 20, 2016 was denied as the evidence did not show characteristic prostrating attacks of headache pain more than three times per year or interference with her employability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back injuries, lower lumbar joint and disc degeneration, a cervical spine disability, bilateral cervical radiculopathy and paresthesias of the shoulders, arms and hands, neurogenic tics, extreme loss of weight, difficulty breathing, myositis, myopathy, ALS, and headaches. The claims are being remanded for further examination to determine if these conditions are related to exposure to herbicides or jet fuel and exhaust.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for head trauma residuals, to include headaches, and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to failure to comply with previous directives.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for right-forearm disorder is dismissed.,Service connection was denied for thoracolumbar spine disorder, right-knee disorder, right-hand disorder, left-hand disorder, and migraine headaches.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue, sleep disorder, skin condition, headaches, joint pain, respiratory disorder, and gastrointestinal disorder. The claims are being remanded to schedule VA examinations to determine if these symptoms qualify as undiagnosed illnesses or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses related to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.