Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Veteran's psychiatric disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain. The left knee disability and migraines are denied.

The Veteran's TBI and migraines are rated as 30 percent, but his PTSD is rated at 50 percent from October 27, 2021 to July 28, 2022. The Veteran's PTSD rating remains denied.

The Veteran's headaches are being remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to service, particularly his exposure in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches on a direct basis, effective March 8, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 20, 2021. The TDIU was granted as of August 20, 2021, and the Board found that the Veteran had been unable to secure and maintain gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since November 2020.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for a headache disability due to inadequate medical opinions regarding secondary service connection and aggravation. The Veteran is required to undergo an examination to provide these necessary opinions.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50 percent from October 7, 2021. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and headaches as secondary to PTSD due to an improper concurrent election.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of migraine headaches, right lower extremity neuropathy, or left lower extremity neuropathy. The Veteran's service treatment records show complaints of headaches and back pain but no diagnoses of these conditions.,For his heart condition and defibrillator implant, the Board finds that an addendum opinion is needed to address whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has remanded the cases of migraine, aneurysm, and TIA for further development due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, including sedentary employment. The Board grants a TDIU based on the combined evaluation of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant as they do not result in anatomical loss, blindness, or significant functional impairment that would qualify under the applicable regulations.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and effective dates have been denied. The TDIU claim from April 19, 2021 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeal for service connection of chronic headaches, leading to its dismissal.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for PTSD and migraines was denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Board finds that medical clarification is required regarding whether the Veteran needs regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection and increased ratings, effectively dismissing the appeal.

The reduction in rating for migraine and tension headaches from 50 percent to 30 percent effective January 1, 2023 was proper. The appeal for discontinuance of TDIU due to service-connected disability is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU rating effective December 6, 2010. The issue of an earlier effective date prior to December 6, 2010, for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis remains pending and is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, anxiety, and migraines have been denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for thoracolumbar spine disability (claimed as thoracic spine) and cervical spine disability has been granted.