The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's radiculopathy of the right and left arms, tension headaches, and unspecified anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show severe incomplete paralysis in either arm or very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability for the headache disability. The psychiatric disability did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 30 percent prior to June 28, 2021, nor was it shown to be more disabling since that date.
- Claimed conditions
- Radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, Radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, Tension headaches, Unspecified anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2025
- Citation
- 25006994
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,455 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 25006994.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted direct service connection for PTSD based on stressful events during active service. It separately granted service connection for insomnia/sleep disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder as secondary to PTSD.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's tension headaches, which have been service-connected since the grant of service connection, are found to be very frequent and completely prostrating with prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability. The Board grants an initial 50 percent rating for tension headaches prior to December 1, 2020.
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