Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to outstanding VA treatment records and additional attempts to obtain medical records from Walter Reed Medical Center and Branch Health Clinic.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to complete the necessary steps for a TDIU claim prior to April 4, 2011. The VA Form 21-8940 needs to be completed and any relevant private records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are found to have started during service and continue since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain service treatment records and VA treatment records, as well as verify the Veteran's periods of active duty and reserve service. The claims for service connection will be remanded for further action.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of service connection for dizziness, sleep apnea, headaches, and COPD, all to include as due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's headaches are related to an injury that occurred during basic training, and the Board finds service connection for these conditions is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and further development is required.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines and a bilateral arm disorder, finding that there is no evidence of a pre-existing condition or direct causation during active duty service. The claim for migraines was not granted as the Veteran did not have a diagnosis before service, nor did he show symptoms within one year post-service. For the bilateral arm disorder, the Board found no current diagnosis and no credible evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's migraines have been granted an initial rating of 30 percent, effective June 24, 2009. The lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities remain at a noncompensable (zero percent) rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, finding that there is no competent evidence linking the disorder to service or his service-connected knee condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the issuance of an SSOC due to new evidence received since the December 2016 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a statement of the case on his service connection claims.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review it.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying her claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's non-specific headaches were not found to be service-connected as they clearly and unmistakably existed prior to his period of active duty service, and clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrated that the disability was not aggravated beyond its natural progression during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including CLL, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, hypertension, headaches, GERD, lumbar spine disorder, shoulder disorders, hip disorders, leg disorders, and a psychiatric disorder are denied. The effective dates for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not established as prior to January 23, 2014.

The Veteran's esophageal dysmotility disorder, right and left foot hallux valgus, migraine headaches, asthma, psoriasis, and alopecia are all rated at the maximum available under VA regulations. The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that they do not warrant a higher rating as there is no evidence of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current headache, bilateral hip, or right leg disability related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against finding any such disabilities were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's disabilities are not considered to be an employment handicap, and he has been able to maintain stable employment since 2006. Therefore, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for vocational rehabilitation services.