# Migraine secondary to PTSD: how the connection is claimed

> Migraine can be service-connected secondary to an already service-connected condition such as PTSD. What secondary service connection requires, and the evidence that supports the link.

Canonical: https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/migraine-va-rating/secondary-to-ptsd

Last updated: 2026-10-27

Updated October 27, 2026 · By AIVA

Secondary service connection means a service-connected condition caused, or aggravates, another condition. A migraine claim secondary to PTSD needs a current migraine diagnosis, an already service-connected primary condition, and medical evidence linking the two — and the migraine percentage itself still comes from the DC 8100 criteria.

## [What secondary means](#what-secondary-means)

A condition does not have to have started in service to be service-connected. When a service-connected condition causes a separate condition, the second condition can be service-connected on a secondary basis. Aggravation — a service-connected condition making another condition worse — is part of the same framework.

Secondary connection answers the connection question only. Once a migraine condition is connected, its percentage is evaluated under the same DC 8100 criteria as any other migraine claim: frequency and prostrating character over the last several months.

[VA: Evidence needed for a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/)

## [The three things the evidence has to show](#the-three-things-the-evidence-has-to-show)

A secondary claim is built from three elements, and the file should address each one directly:

- A current migraine diagnosis, documented by a provider
- A primary condition — here, PTSD — that is already service-connected
- A nexus: medical evidence linking the migraine condition to the service-connected primary, by causation or by aggravation

[VA: Evidence needed for a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/)

## [Building the link evidence](#building-the-link-evidence)

The nexus is usually the contested element. A useful medical opinion does more than state a conclusion: it identifies the records reviewed and explains the reasoning that connects the two conditions in your case. Treatment records that document both conditions over time give that opinion something to rest on.

Your own statement covers what only you can report: when migraines began or changed, and how they present. Keep it factual and dated, and keep the headache log running — connection and rating are separate questions, and the log answers the rating one.

[VA: Evidence needed for a disability claim](https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/evidence-needed/)

## Nexus evidence checklist: migraine secondary to PTSD

A secondary claim stands on the link. Use this checklist to organize the evidence that shows each element before you file.

- Your PTSD rating decision, showing the primary condition is service-connected
- A current migraine diagnosis in your treatment records
- Treatment records that show both conditions over time
- A medical opinion that explains, with reasoning, how PTSD caused or aggravates your migraines
- Your own statement: when the migraines began or worsened, in relation to the primary condition
- Your headache log, so the migraine rating criteria can be applied once connection is decided

## Related help

- [Migraine VA rating hub](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/migraine-va-rating)
- [VA claim evidence checklist](https://aivaclaims.com/guides/va-claim-evidence-checklist)
- [How to file a VA claim for migraines](https://aivaclaims.com/conditions/migraine-va-rating/how-to-file)

## Check your likely claim paths

Answer a few taps in AIVA's pre-eligibility check and see the paths that may fit your situation, before you decide anything.

[Start the pre-eligibility check](https://aivaclaims.com/check)

This educational series reproduces and explains the linked regulation and VA sources. It is not an individual legal or medical assessment, and it does not predict a rating. For representation or help with your claim, [find VA-accredited assistance](https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/). Check the current VA instructions and your own decision letter before filing.