VA Disability Conditions and Ratings
Everything you need in one place to understand how the VA rates every disability, condition by condition. Browse plain-English claims guides for the most-claimed conditions, grouped by body system, or jump straight to the rating criteria for any of the 725 VA diagnostic codes. Each guide covers how the condition is rated, the evidence that wins, common secondary conditions, and what Board appeal decisions show.
Look up any condition (DC 5000-9999) by name, symptom, or body system. Open lookup → Browse by body system
See every diagnostic code grouped by the body system it falls under. Browse →
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Mental health
Digestive
Digestive Conditions Guide
Stomach, intestine, and liver conditions overview.
Celiac Disease
Rated by analogy to intestinal disease; diet, malabsorption, and secondaries.
Crohn's Disease
DC 7326 inflammatory-bowel criteria and extraintestinal secondaries.
Ulcerative Colitis
Rated on severity of attacks, malnutrition, and remission.
IBS & IBD
Irritable bowel and inflammatory bowel disease, side by side.
IBS Secondary to PTSD
Gut-brain-axis bowel symptoms tied to service-connected PTSD.
GERD
Acid reflux rated by analogy, often secondary to other conditions.
GERD Secondary to PTSD
The coin-flip PTSD secondary pairing, dissected.
Peptic Ulcer
Gastric and duodenal ulcers rated on severity and recurrence.
Hernia
Inguinal, ventral, and other hernias rated on repair and recurrence.
Hemorrhoids
Internal and external hemorrhoids rated on severity.
Hepatitis C
Liver disease rated on symptoms, fatigue, and flare-ups.
Musculoskeletal
Musculoskeletal Rating Guide
How joints, spine, and muscles are rated overall.
Arthritis
Degenerative and rheumatoid arthritis ratings.
Arthritis Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Joint wear from an altered gait or posture.
Arthritis Secondary to a Knee Condition
Arthritis spreading from a service-connected knee.
Arthritis Secondary to an Ankle Condition
Joint wear from a stiff ankle changing your gait.
Spinal Arthritis Secondary to a Knee Condition
Spine wear from favoring a bad knee.
Joints & Painful Motion
Range of motion, DeLuca, and the painful-motion rule.
Sciatica & Radiculopathy
Nerve pain rated off the spine.
Sciatic Radiculopathy Secondary to Diabetes
Leg nerve pain claimed as a diabetes complication.
Sciatic Radiculopathy Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Nerve pain radiating from a bad back.
Sciatic Radiculopathy Secondary to IVDS
Nerve pain radiating from disc disease.
Sciatic Radiculopathy Secondary to Arthritis
Nerve pain from spinal arthritis pressing a nerve root.
Lower Back (Lumbar Spine)
How the spine formula sets your back rating.
Neck (Cervical Spine)
Range-of-motion thresholds for the neck.
Back or Neck Strain Secondary to a Knee Condition
Spine strain from a knee-driven gait change.
Back or Neck Strain Secondary to a Shoulder Condition
Spine strain claimed from a shoulder injury.
IVDS Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Disc disease claimed from an existing spine condition.
IVDS Secondary to a Knee Condition
Disc disease claimed from a knee-driven gait change.
Hip Condition Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Hip damage from compensating for a bad back.
Hip Condition Secondary to a Knee Condition
Hip damage from favoring a bad knee.
Shoulder Condition Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Shoulder strain claimed from a spine condition.
Knee Claims Guide
Instability, meniscus, and range-of-motion ratings for the knee.
Knee Condition Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Knee damage claimed from a spine condition.
Knee Instability Secondary to Limited Knee Motion
One knee problem leading to another in the same knee.
Flatfoot (Pes Planus)
Pes planus rated on severity, from mild to pronounced.
Arthritis Secondary to Flatfoot
Joint wear from the altered gait of fallen arches.
Foot Conditions
Plantar fasciitis, bunions, and other foot disabilities.
Muscle Injuries
Muscle group injuries rated by severity and muscle group.
Fibromyalgia Secondary to PTSD
Widespread pain tied to PTSD's effect on the nervous system.
Respiratory
Respiratory Conditions Guide
Lungs and breathing conditions overview.
Asthma
PFT-based ratings and the medication rule.
Sleep Apnea
CPAP, ratings, and secondary links.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Asthma
Airway inflammation and steroid weight gain that can worsen apnea.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Chronic Sinusitis
Nasal blockage that can drive or worsen apnea.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to a Depressive Disorder
Weight and medication effects that can worsen apnea.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Anxiety
How anxiety and its treatment can worsen apnea.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to TBI
Brain-injury damage to the body's breathing control.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD
The most-filed secondary pairing at the Board, dissected.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Diabetes
Two winning mechanisms, the obesity chain and a direct neuropathy pathway, dissected.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Tinnitus
An honest look at the science, dissected.
Sleep Apnea Secondary to Depression
Weight gain and medication effects as the claimed chain.
COPD
PFT-based ratings for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Sinusitis & Rhinitis
Incapacitating episodes, surgery, and nasal obstruction.
Heart and blood pressure
Cardiovascular Conditions Guide
Heart, vascular, and blood-pressure conditions overview.
Hypertension
Blood-pressure thresholds and the diastolic rule.
Hypertension Secondary to PTSD
The second most-filed PTSD secondary pairing, dissected.
Hypertension Secondary to Diabetes
High blood pressure as a diabetes complication.
Hypertension Secondary to Depression
Blood pressure claimed under chronic mental-health strain.
Hypertension Secondary to Sleep Apnea
High blood pressure driven by nightly drops in oxygen.
Coronary Artery Disease
Code 7005, METs testing, and ejection fraction.
Coronary Artery Disease Secondary to Diabetes
Heart disease as a diabetes complication.
Coronary Artery Disease Secondary to PTSD
Heart disease claimed from chronic stress.
Coronary Artery Disease Secondary to Hypertension
Heart disease downstream of high blood pressure.
Peripheral Arterial Disease Secondary to Diabetes
Poor leg circulation as a diabetes complication.
Cold Injury / Frostbite
Residuals of cold exposure in the hands and feet.
Endocrine
Genitourinary
Genitourinary Conditions Guide
Kidney, bladder, and reproductive conditions overview.
Erectile Dysfunction
Code 7522, SMC-K, and the secondary pathway.
Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to PTSD
The third most-filed PTSD secondary pairing, dissected.
Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to Hypertension
A 60% grant rate, dissected.
Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to Depression
ED from depression itself or from its medications.
Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to Diabetes
A common diabetes complication and an SMC-K trigger.
Erectile Dysfunction Secondary to Genitourinary Cancer
After prostate or other genitourinary cancer treatment.
Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD)
Code 7632, the SMC case-by-case review, and the PTSD/MST secondary path.
Urinary Conditions
Frequency, voiding dysfunction, and incontinence.
Kidney Involvement Secondary to Diabetes
Diabetic nephropathy, the kidney damage high blood sugar causes.
Kidney Failure (Dialysis) Secondary to Diabetes
End-stage diabetic kidney disease needing dialysis.
Voiding Dysfunction Secondary to Diabetes
A small, remand-heavy claim pool, dissected.
Gynecological Conditions
Female reproductive conditions and ratings.
Neurological and sleep
Neurological Conditions Guide
Nerve, brain, and seizure conditions overview.
Migraines
Prostrating attacks and code 8100.
Migraines Secondary to PTSD
The highest-win-rate PTSD secondary pairing, dissected.
Migraines Secondary to Sleep Apnea
An 81% grant rate, one of the highest on this site, dissected.
Migraines Secondary to Tinnitus
The highest-volume tinnitus-secondary pairing, dissected.
Peripheral Neuropathy Secondary to Diabetes
The highest-volume secondary pairing under diabetes, dissected.
Migraines Secondary to Back or Neck Strain
Headaches claimed from neck strain and muscle tension.
Migraines Secondary to Depression
Migraine tied to depression's brain chemistry and lost sleep.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Residuals of TBI and the 10 facets of cognition.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Rated by analogy; sleep and secondary links.
How TBI Is Rated
Walkthrough of the TBI rating table, facet by facet.
Carpal Tunnel
Median nerve entrapment rated as peripheral neuropathy.
Carpal Tunnel Secondary to Diabetes
Wrist nerve entrapment linked to diabetic nerve damage.
Smell & Taste Loss
Loss of smell or taste rated under the sensory codes.
Dementia Care
Ratings, aid and attendance, and fiduciary steps for cognitive decline.
Skin
Hearing and vision
Hearing Loss & Tinnitus
The most-claimed conditions in the VA system.
Tinnitus Secondary to Hearing Loss
Ringing claimed from service-connected hearing loss.
Hearing Loss Secondary to Tinnitus
The reverse pairing: hearing loss claimed from tinnitus.
Eye Conditions
Visual acuity, field loss, and how eye ratings are set.
Cataract Secondary to Diabetes
Clouding of the lens driven by long-term high blood sugar.
Diabetic Retinopathy Secondary to Diabetes
Why the diagnosis label itself often carries the claim, dissected.
Vertigo & Meniere's
Dizziness and inner-ear conditions rated on attack frequency.
MOS Noise Exposure Lookup
1,135 military jobs rated for noise exposure.
Blood and immune
Cancer and toxic exposure
This hub is for educational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Rating criteria come from 38 CFR Part 4. For help with your claim, find a VSO representative near you.