The Veteran's chronic tension headaches are currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating as there is no evidence of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support findings of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks of headache pain, which are required for a 50 percent disability rating under Diagnostic Code 8100.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Tension Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2018
- Citation
- 18149030
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 18149030.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 10 percent rating for sinusitis but denied service connection for anxiety disorder and PTSD, and denied an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis and chronic tension headaches.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for chronic tension headaches effective November 2, 2010. The Veteran's headaches were found to be very frequent and completely prostrating with severe economic inadaptability prior to June 15, 2015.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to consider the impact of medication on the Veteran's headache symptoms, and for a retrospective medical opinion to assess the severity of his headaches without medication.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for chronic tension headaches prior to June 15, 2015, finding that the Veteran's headaches did not meet the criteria for a 10% disability rating due to insufficient evidence of prostrating attacks.
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