Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of sufficient rationale in the previous VA examination opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has sinus disorder, headache disorder, and sleep disorder (to include sleep apnea) that are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected head injury above the right eye with residual headaches has not resulted in characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over the last several months, thus warranting a rating no higher than 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are related to his service-connected psychiatric disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, a sleep disorder, joint pain involving the knees and wrists, fatigue, headaches, neuropsychological symptoms, and PTSD. The evidence received since September 2002 does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate any of these claims.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, and service connection for headaches and a stomach condition were denied. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent effective February 5, 2003.

The Board has determined that the appellant's non-specific chronic headaches are related to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's defective vision (other than ophthalmic migraines and exophoria with intermittent decompensation) is not causally or etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's residuals of head injury are currently rated at 10 percent, but the March 2006 rating decision continued this rating. The Board found that the residuals meet criteria for a 30 percent rating based on headaches occurring once per month and subjective complaints of dizziness, mild memory loss, sleep impairment, and difficulty concentrating.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding the initial ratings for PTSD, migraine and tension headaches, low back disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his migraine headaches.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis and has also found that a disability rating of 10 percent is warranted for post-traumatic headaches. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current sinus problems are related to his military service, and he prevails on this issue. For his post-traumatic headaches, the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal on all issues, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and migraine headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and chronic headaches, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's single service-connected disability, vascular cluster headaches rated at 50%, does not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating as his combined disability rating is less than 100% and he has sufficient work experience to engage in part-time independent contractor work.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for right foot/ankle disability, low back disability, neck disability, and headaches.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, SSA records, and deck logs from his ship during his claimed in-service stressor event.

The Board is reopening the claims for service connection for an eye disability and headaches on the basis of new and material evidence, but then remanding them to the RO for further development.,For tinnitus, the Veteran's claim has been granted as his tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized, non-VA medical expenses incurred on May 11, 2004 is denied because the condition was not an emergency and a VA facility was feasibly available.