Criteria: Table 13-18 Migraine Headache (342), Table 3-1 Pain-Related Impairment and Whole Person Impairment Based on Pain Disability Questionnaire.
Score “MIDAS Questionnaire”. Table 13-18 is used to rate migraine headaches up to maximum of 5% WPI. Section 13.11 states “Note that nonmigrainous headaches are not ratable using the AMA Guides,” however Chapter 3 Pain provides Example 3-2 the rating of post-concussive headache. Chapter 3 provides a maximum rating for pain of 3% WPI. Migraine headaches are considered in Chapter 13, The Central and Peripheral Nervous System, and assigned a quantitative whole person impairment rating up to 5% according to the results of The Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire. The Guides state in this chapter, “nonmigrainous headaches are not ratable using the AMA Guides.” However, Chapter 3, Pain-Related Impairment, does allow for an impairment rating up to 3% whole person based upon the results of the Pain Disability Questionnaire and according to Table 3-1 even in the absence of objective findings. The Guides state “A patient is awarded a presumptive percentage WPI on the basis of his or her responses on the Pain Disability Questionnaire.” This rating methodology cannot be used if there is ratable impairment according to the remaining chapters in the Sixth Edition. Thus, the Sixth Edition of the Guides also provides a quantitative whole person impairment rating for both migrainous and nonmigrainous headaches.
