Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8625Neuritis.

A single 10% rating under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires for it.

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  1. 10%

    Incomplete: Moderate

  2. 10%

    Incomplete: Mild

How it is applied

General rating formula

Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8525)

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 8525). 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 8625)

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders · 38 CFR § 4.124a

Understanding Neuritis

Neuritis is a nerve condition rated under the VA's schedule for neurological disabilities. Under Diagnostic Code 8625, neuritis is rated by analogy to Paralysis of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve area under Diagnostic Code 8525, meaning the VA evaluates it using the criteria established for that related nerve condition.

An important distinction affects how far a neuritis condition can be rated:

  • Neuritis without organic changes — under § 4.123, neuritis that is not characterized by organic changes (such as loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain that is at times excruciating) is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
  • Neuritis with organic changes — when those organic changes are present, the condition may be rated up to severe incomplete paralysis.

Available Rating Levels

Neuritis under DC 8625 may be assigned the following ratings:

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

Both mild and moderate incomplete levels shown here correspond to a 10% evaluation.

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating neuritis, the VA considers:

  • The degree of incomplete paralysis — whether the nerve impairment is mild or moderate, applying the criteria for Paralysis under DC 8525.
  • The presence or absence of organic changes — including loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances, and constant pain that is at times excruciating. These findings determine the ceiling for the rating: without them, the condition is limited to a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis; with them, it may reach up to severe incomplete paralysis.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule (38 CFR § 4.124a, Diagnostic Code 8625) and related provisions (§ 4.123). Every claim is evaluated individually based on your medical evidence.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8625. 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 8625 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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