Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8624Neuritis.

Rated from 10% to 20% under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

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  1. 20%

    Incomplete: Moderate

  2. 10%

    Incomplete: Mild

How it is applied

General rating formula

Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8524)

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Rated by analogy to Paralysis of: (DC 8524). Per § 4.123, neuritis not characterized by organic changes (loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain, at times excruciating) is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis; with such organic changes it may be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis.

Neuritis (VA Diagnostic Code 8624)

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders · 38 CFR § 4.124a

Understanding Neuritis and How the VA Rates It

Neuritis is a nerve condition that the VA rates under Diagnostic Code 8624. Because it does not have its own standalone criteria, the VA rates neuritis by analogy to Paralysis of the internal popliteal nerve (Diagnostic Code 8524).

The severity of your rating depends on how the condition affects the nerve—specifically, whether there are organic changes such as:

  • Loss of reflexes
  • Muscle atrophy
  • Sensory disturbances
  • Constant pain (at times excruciating)

Under § 4.123, these organic changes play a key role in how far the condition can be rated:

  • Without these organic changes, neuritis is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
  • With these organic changes, it may be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a disability rating based on the degree of incomplete paralysis:

RatingCriteria
20%Incomplete paralysis — Moderate
10%Incomplete paralysis — Mild

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating neuritis under Diagnostic Code 8624, the VA considers:

  • The degree of incomplete paralysis — whether it is mild or moderate.
  • The presence or absence of organic changes, including loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain.
  • How the condition compares by analogy to Paralysis of Diagnostic Code 8524, in keeping with the framework set out in § 4.123.

The extent of these findings helps determine which rating level applies to your individual circumstances.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8624. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 8624 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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