The Veteran's fibromyalgia is rated at 40 percent due to constant or nearly constant symptoms refractory to therapy, including widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's fibromyalgia symptoms are near constant despite medication, warranting a 40 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5025.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Fibromyalgia, Irritable bowel syndrome, Major depression with dysthymia (to include anger control), Carpal tunnel syndrome, Thoracic outlet syndrome, Bilateral thumb dislocations
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2009
- Citation
- 0908879
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0908879.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to errors in the initial decision and a need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition and right shoulder disability.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of irritable bowel syndrome (claimed as IBS-Gulf War Syndrome) due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The claim for tinnitus was granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity conditions and PTSD, resulted in a loss of use of both lower extremities such that he is entitled to specially adapted housing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service.
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