Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, low back pain, and knee disability are not well-grounded because there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. Service connection has been established for neck disability, back disability, bilateral knee and leg disabilities, pes planus, and hearing loss. Increased ratings have been assigned for hypertension and skin disorders.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. The remaining claims for service connection are not well-grounded as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link between any claimed conditions and service.

The Board found that the veteran has presented evidence of a well-grounded claim for service connection for headaches, but denied claims for joint pain, memory loss, right-sided numbness, hoarseness, confusion, and anxiety/depression due to undiagnosed illnesses.

The veteran's application for Service Disabled Veterans Insurance was denied because he is not in 'good health' aside from his service-connected disabilities, as determined by VA criteria.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a low back injury, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The claim is well-grounded as there is current disability of the low back.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's headaches, blackouts, right shoulder disorder, back disorder, optic nerve damage, and nasal fracture, all claimed as residuals of a motor vehicle accident. The RO also assigned a 10 percent evaluation for the veteran's scar above his right eyebrow.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a neck or head injury and a psychiatric disability as not well grounded, due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to incidents in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and an undiagnosed illness, finding no current evidence of a hearing loss disability. The claim for an undiagnosed illness was not well-grounded due to lack of medical evidence showing signs or symptoms of such an illness.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's residuals of cerebrovascular fluid leak and meningitis with lacunar infarct, organic brain syndrome and headaches, finding no basis for a higher evaluation given the current manifestations do not meet the criteria for multi-infarct dementia.

The Board denied a higher rating for headaches due to brain trauma, initially assigned a 10 percent evaluation, effective from November 1995.

The veteran's service-connected chronic lumbar syndrome was granted a 40 percent evaluation effective June 1, 1993.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including examinations and information requests, to properly evaluate the appellant's claims. The RO should consider entitlement to an extra-schedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(2) in evaluating the appellant's service-connected vascular headaches.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection are not well grounded for all of his claimed conditions. The evidence does not support a finding of a nexus between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim for service connection for migraine headaches is not well-grounded, and therefore denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for PTSD and headaches were not well-grounded, as there was no evidence of a current disability related to service. The claim for temporary total evaluation based on hospitalization from June to July 1992 was also denied.

The veteran's right knee, eye, sinus, hearing loss (right ear), and migraine headache disabilities are all found to be service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran did not file an adequate substantive appeal for his service-connected headaches, which are currently rated at 10 percent. The other issues related to knee and foot conditions were also deemed without a valid appeal.

The veteran's disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder and COPD, are rated at the minimum levels allowed by law. The RO found that his alcohol abuse was due to willful misconduct and thus not compensable.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and determined that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for migraine headaches.