Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether any disability associated with the Veteran's claimed TBI is etiologically related to his active service. The Veteran claims he incurred two separate TBIs during active service and has reported symptoms since then.

The Veteran's appeal for higher disability ratings for GERD, panic disorder with agoraphobia, and headaches was denied. The effective date of the TDIU award is set at June 18, 2009.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left knee disorder, otitis media, sinusitis, hypertension, urticaria, thyroid cancer, and headaches. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these cases.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a neck disability, and to that extent only, the claim is granted. The issues of service connection for back disability, headaches, missing teeth 7 to 10 and 23 to 26, and sinusitis are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder was granted a TDIU rating of 100 percent effective October 29, 2007. The increased ratings for left knee disability and pseudofolliculitis barbae were denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for GERD was withdrawn. The Board dismissed the claims for a compensable evaluation from December 1, 2010 to September 13, 2013 and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent from September 13, 2013 for his left knee disability due to lack of evidence. The Veteran's appeal for service connection for unspecified joint pain, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic tension headaches is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD and migraine/tension headaches have been granted a rating of 50% for the entire appeal period, with no higher. The PTSD is rated based on occupational and social impairment due to reduced reliability and productivity, while the migraines are rated as having characteristic prostrating attacks occurring approximately once a month.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and reopening of service connection claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative ano-rectal canal displacement and stenosis, migraine headaches, and diabetic retinopathy is granted. The claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability remains pending as new evidence did not reopen the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service and resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for further examination regarding PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of tension headaches was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for her lumbar spine disability and for TDIU due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran needs to be provided with updated VA examinations to assess the severity of her disabilities, including flares.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and an increased rating for hearing loss. Additional development is required due to outstanding SSA records.

The Board has remanded several claims including service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, headaches, left lower extremity neuropathy, a sciatic nerve condition of the right leg, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to outstanding SSA records.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of bipolar disorder and service connection for migraine headaches are remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including joint condition, left leg condition, right leg condition, muscle condition, chronic fatigue syndrome, gastrointestinal condition (GERD), and migraine headaches are remanded due to the need for a new VA examination. The examiner is asked to determine if these conditions are related to active military duty or in-service environmental hazards from his Persian Gulf War service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for right lower back disability and headache have been remanded due to outstanding records and procedural issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from caring for some of his daily personal needs and rendered him unable to protect himself from the hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The Board finds that an effective date of October 14, 2011 is warranted for the grant of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent, and service connection for bipolar disorder is granted as secondary to a pre-existing condition.