VA does not have one rating for radiculopathy. It rates the affected nerve in each arm or leg under the peripheral nerve schedule in 38 CFR 4.124a, based on how much function that nerve has lost. For the sciatic nerve, which VA often uses for leg symptoms from a low back condition, the schedule runs from 10% to 80%.
What is radiculopathy and how does VA rate it?
Radiculopathy is the medical term for pain, numbness, tingling or weakness that travels along a nerve from the spine. In the lower back it can reach the leg, which many people call sciatica. In the neck it can reach the arm and hand.
The rating schedule has no diagnostic code just for radiculopathy. The rater picks the code for the nerve or nerve group involved, and the schedule also lists neuritis and neuralgia codes for each nerve. The ratings are described as degrees of “incomplete paralysis,” which VA defines as lost or impaired function that is substantially less than complete paralysis. When the problem is wholly sensory, such as numbness or tingling, the schedule says to rate it mild or, at most, moderate.
How does VA rate radiculopathy in the legs?
Leg symptoms from a lumbar spine condition are commonly rated under diagnostic code 8520, the sciatic nerve. These are the criteria in 38 CFR 4.124a:
| Level of nerve involvement | Rating |
|---|---|
| Mild incomplete paralysis | 10% |
| Moderate incomplete paralysis | 20% |
| Moderately severe incomplete paralysis | 40% |
| Severe incomplete paralysis, with marked muscular atrophy | 60% |
| Complete paralysis: the foot dangles and drops, with no active movement of the muscles below the knee | 80% |
Other nerves in the leg have their own codes and lower ceilings. The common peroneal nerve (code 8521), for example, tops out at 40%. Your medical records and exam findings decide which nerve VA rates.
How does VA rate radiculopathy in the arms and hands?
Nerve roots in the neck are grouped as the upper (code 8510), middle (8511) and lower (8512) radicular groups, and each group has the same percentages. VA rates the dominant arm (called “major”) a little higher than the other arm (“minor”). Handedness is decided from your records or by testing at a VA exam.
| Level of nerve involvement | Dominant arm | Non-dominant arm |
|---|---|---|
| Mild incomplete paralysis | 20% | 20% |
| Moderate incomplete paralysis | 40% | 30% |
| Severe incomplete paralysis | 50% | 40% |
| Complete paralysis | 70% | 60% |
When all the radicular groups are involved (code 8513), the schedule is higher, reaching 90% for complete paralysis of the dominant arm.
Is radiculopathy rated separately from your back or neck condition?
It can be. VA rates the spine mainly on lost motion, and its spine formula applies “with or without symptoms such as pain (whether or not it radiates).” A note to that formula says to evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities separately under an appropriate diagnostic code. VA also avoids rating the same symptom twice (38 CFR 4.14), so what gets a separate nerve rating is objective nerve findings, not pain that is already counted in the spine rating.
How that plays out depends on your records, and VA makes the call. Our guides to lower back pain ratings and sciatica ratings cover the back side of the question.
Why do neuritis and neuralgia ratings sometimes cap lower?
VA limits ratings for some nerve diagnoses. Neuritis with loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances and constant pain can be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis. Without those findings, the cap is moderate, or moderately severe for the sciatic nerve (38 CFR 4.123). Neuralgia, which is dull, intermittent pain along a nerve, is capped at moderate incomplete paralysis (38 CFR 4.124). That is why the specific findings your doctors record matter.
How are radiculopathy ratings combined for both legs or both arms?
VA’s peripheral nerve ratings are for one side. For both sides, the schedule says to combine the ratings and apply the bilateral factor. Under 38 CFR 4.26, VA combines the left and right ratings as usual, then adds 10% of that value before combining with your other ratings.
For example, two 10% leg ratings combine to 19%. Adding 10% of 19 (1.9) gives about 21 before it joins your other ratings. Our bilateral factor guide has more worked examples, and the free VA disability calculator can estimate how the numbers combine. VA decides the final rating.
What evidence supports a radiculopathy rating?
- A diagnosis and treatment records. These show the condition is current and ongoing.
- Objective findings. VA’s rules point examiners to the site and character of the nerve problem, motor weakness, trophic (tissue) changes and sensory disturbances (38 CFR 4.120). Reflex, strength and sensation findings in your records matter.
- Your own description. Say where the pain or numbness starts, how far it travels, whether you drop things or trip, and how it limits standing, walking, lifting or work.
- A medical link to service. If your back or neck condition is already service connected, radiculopathy caused by it can be service connected as a secondary condition under 38 CFR 3.310. A medical opinion should say it is at least as likely as not (50% or greater probability) that the nerve problem results from the service-connected condition. See our guide to nexus letters for secondary conditions.
Accredited VSO representatives help with VA claims for free. You can find one on VA.gov. Rating criteria can change, so check the current text of 38 CFR 4.124a before relying on a percentage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest VA rating for radiculopathy?
There is no single maximum, because VA rates the nerve involved. For the sciatic nerve in the leg, severe incomplete paralysis with marked muscular atrophy is 60% and complete paralysis is 80%. In the arm, a single radicular group tops out at 70% for the dominant side, and involvement of all groups can reach 90%. VA decides the level from your records and exam.
Can I get radiculopathy service connected without a service-connected back condition?
Yes. Radiculopathy can be service connected directly if you have a current diagnosis, an injury or event in service, and a medical link between the two. It can also be secondary to a spine condition that is already service connected. Either way, the link is judged by the ‘at least as likely as not’ standard.
Is sciatica the same as radiculopathy for VA?
Sciatica usually means pain along the sciatic nerve in the leg, and it is often caused by lumbar radiculopathy. VA does not have a code called sciatica. It rates the nerve involved, and the sciatic nerve code is the one commonly used for leg symptoms from a low back condition.
Do I need a nexus letter for secondary radiculopathy?
VA does not require a nexus letter by that name. It needs medical evidence that the nerve problem is at least as likely as not caused or worsened by your service-connected condition. That opinion can come from any licensed provider, including your own treating doctor, and VA does not require a paid one.
What if my radiculopathy gets worse after VA rates it?
You can ask VA to review the rating with a claim for increase. Recent medical records and exam findings that show how the nerve is working now are the evidence VA looks at. An accredited VSO representative can help with that claim at no cost.
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