Migraines & headaches — all decisions

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for mood disorder and a 30 percent rating for tension headaches, while denying increased ratings for left hip/thigh impairment, left pelvic fracture s/p ORIF, lumbosacral spine strain, and service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and related conditions have been found to warrant a 70 percent rating, but no higher. Additionally, the Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical strain, esophagus stricture, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and migraine headaches due to untimely notice of disagreement. The appeal for B-cell lymphoma was remanded for further development.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 19, 2021 for the 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis of the right elbow joint and a 30 percent disability rating for migraine headaches, while denying increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent from May 15, 2024, for migraine headaches as the Veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating and referral for extraschedular consideration was not warranted.

The Board granted increased ratings for the Veteran's psychiatric disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and restored a higher rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The Board also granted service connection for migraines and erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted service connection for a headache disability, which is attributed to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board denied service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis, left ankle achilles tendinopathy, post-traumatic (concussion) headaches, and TBI. The appeal for an earlier effective date was also denied.

The Board granted service connection for headaches diagnosed as migraines including migraine variants, but remanded the claims for hypertension, left rotator cuff tear, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for Barrett's esophagus, skin cancer, and ocular migraines as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and remanded several other claims, including those for PTSD, insomnia, fatigue, migraines with tension headaches, right elbow disorder, and right ankle disorder.

The Board granted service connection for headaches and plantar fasciitis, finding that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were related to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and his wearing of combat boots during active duty, respectively.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including fatigue, bilateral eye disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, GERD, penile condition, left foot disability, and others. Some claims were remanded for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraine headaches and Sjogren's syndrome, as well as a TDIU, due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and granted a 30 percent rating for asthma, while denying service connection for various conditions including allergic rhinitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypertension, lumbar spine pain, right lower extremity sciatic radicular pain, tremors of the bilateral hands, and chronic headaches.

The veteran was granted service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches, while other claims were denied.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for headaches, to include as secondary to service-connected tinnitus, due to an inadequate VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection for headaches, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and right shoulder disorder due to untimely filings.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for headaches, to include as secondary to bilateral tinnitus, due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's headaches and his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and a rating in excess of 20 percent for the lumbar spine back disability, as the evidence did not show symptoms productive of total occupational and social impairment or greater severity.