The Veteran's muscle tension headaches are currently rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines, and she does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran also failed to secure substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's muscle tension headaches have been assigned the maximum schedular rating of 50% based on their severity. She did not provide sufficient evidence that she could secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities, as evidenced by her consistent full-time work throughout the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Muscle tension headaches, Right trapezius strain, Right ulnar nerve irritation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2021
- Citation
- 21074078
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 21074078.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for PTSD, denied a compensable evaluation for muscle tension headaches and sinusitis, and remanded claims for an increased rating for asthma, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date and increased rating for muscle tension headaches was denied. The Veteran is already receiving the maximum 50 percent rating, which is the highest under Diagnostic Code 8100.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected muscle tension headaches is remanded due to the need for a new examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his muscle tension headaches prior to November 15, 2010 and from that date onwards. His wrist sprain, ankle disability, thoracic outlet syndrome of the right shoulder and neck, and residuals of a right knee injury status-post lysis of plica were all denied increased ratings.
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