The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraines prior to March 22, 2010 is granted. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s migraines would most closely approximate very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraines from March 22, 2010 onward is denied. The highest schedular rating available for migraine headaches under Diagnostic Code 8100 has already been granted.
The deciding factor: The November 2019 VA examination did not adequately address the Veteran's functional limitations and additional loss in range of motion due to repeated use over time, repetitive use over time or during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraines, Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21003744
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 21003744.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for tension and migraine headaches is remanded due to the inadequacy of the September 2020 VA examination report, which did not consider the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his migraine headaches was denied as the evidence did not show that his migraines were productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD with TBI is rated at 70 percent, which is denied as the criteria for a higher rating are not met.
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