The Veteran's claims for a compensable initial rating for tension headaches, service connection for muscle tension in shoulders and neck secondary to anxiety disorder, and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports do not provide sufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s current conditions. The Board also notes that there is insufficient medical evidence to determine whether the Veteran's hypertension was incurred during service or within one year following separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Tension headaches, Muscle tension in shoulders, Muscle tension in neck, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19174913
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 19174913.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial evaluation for tension headaches to include migraines is granted, with a rating of 50 percent effective from May 23, 2023.
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