Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claim for minimal lumbar spondylosis is granted. The issue of revising the July 2000 rating decision on the basis of CUE is dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, and migraine headaches have been dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected left and right knee patellofemoral syndrome, as well as for migraine headaches, require additional development due to inconsistencies in the evidence.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to PTSD. Left ear sensorineural hearing loss is granted, while right ear sensorineural hearing loss and headaches are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for chronic sinusitis with headaches is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for migraine headaches due to insufficient medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.,The remaining issues, including cervical spine disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right hand disability, left hand disability, stomach condition (dyspepsia), and migraine headaches are all remanded for further review.

The Veteran's headaches are granted as secondary to her service-connected multiple sclerosis.,Her depression appeal is dismissed due to it being a symptom of her already service-connected neurocognitive disorder.,Tinnitus was denied as there is no current diagnosis and the Veteran did not report any during active duty.,Bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of qualifying hearing loss for VA purposes.,High blood pressure, spinal fluid leak, left wrist pain, right wrist pain, back pain, and neck pain were all denied due to lack of a nexus to service.,Left shoulder pain and right shoulder pain were also denied without a clear link to service.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for his headache condition and a higher rating for his left knee condition have been denied.,The Board found that the original ratings were properly assigned, as there was no evidence of prostrating attacks or other criteria warranting higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA examination and duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's PTSD, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral strain, migraine headaches, and bilateral shin splints are all under review.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hernia surgery abdomen scar, residuals of hernia repair surgery (other than scar), hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, nerve disability of the lower extremities (to include numbness), chronic headache disability, and gastrointestinal disability to include a functional gastrointestinal disorder are all granted. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 30 percent for migraine headaches was denied as the evidence did not show very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hypertension was denied as the evidence did not show diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected due to a finding of in-service noise exposure and subsequent development of the condition.,There is no persuasive evidence linking the Veteran's bilateral glaucoma to his active military service. The Board finds that the current diagnosis does not meet the criteria for service connection.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not diagnosed during or within one year after his active military service, and there is no persuasive evidence linking it to service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's headaches and his service. The Board finds that the current diagnosis does not meet the criteria for service connection.,The Veteran has diabetes but there is no persuasive evidence linking its onset or development to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, ankle and knee disabilities, low back disability, anxiety/depression, insomnia, sleep apnea, and headaches, did not begin during or are otherwise related to service. As such, these claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, with accompanying symptoms such as light and noise sensitivity, blind spots, nausea, numbness, tingling, dizziness, lightheadedness, throbbing, and pulsating pain, are considered a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI) due to his Gulf War service. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection under this presumption.

The July 2020 rating decision granted a TDIU, but did not result in any past-due benefits. The appeal is denied as the Appellant's services were provided before the date on which the Veteran was notified of the initial decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) at the 38 U.S.C. 1114(t) rate is denied because his TBI residuals do not require personal health-care services provided on a daily basis in the home by a person who is licensed to provide such services or who provides such services under the regular supervision of a licensed health-care professional.

The appeal concerning the service connection claims for mental disorder (PTSD), headache disorder, and left ear hearing loss is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension, lumbar spine disability, and headaches for further examination and opinion to address the sufficiency of the evidence regarding service connection.

The Board has found a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's vertigo, service-connected PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and migraines.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development on the issues of service connection for a neck disability, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity. The TDIU issue is also referred to the Director for extraschedular consideration.