Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8713Neuralgia.

Rated from 20% to 40% under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 40%30% non-dominant

    Incomplete: Moderate

  2. 20%20% non-dominant

    Incomplete: Mild

How it is applied

General rating formula

Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8513)

From the schedule

Notes on this code

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

  • Note: Combined nerve injuries should be rated by reference to the major involvement, or if sufficient in extent, consider radicular group ratings.
  • Rated by analogy to Paralysis of: (DC 8513). Per § 4.124, neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.

Neuralgia (Diagnostic Code 8713)

Body System: Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders Regulation: 38 CFR § 4.124a

What Is This Condition?

Neuralgia refers to nerve-related symptoms affecting the extremities. Under Diagnostic Code 8713, the VA rates neuralgia by analogy to Paralysis of the affected nerve group (DC 8513).

Per § 4.124, neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a disability rating based on the severity of incomplete paralysis. Ratings differ depending on whether the condition affects your dominant (major) or non-dominant (minor) extremity.

CriteriaDominant ExtremityNon-Dominant Extremity
Incomplete: Moderate40%30%
Incomplete: Mild20%20%

What the VA Looks For

When rating neuralgia under this code, the VA considers:

  • The severity of incomplete paralysis — whether symptoms are classified as mild or moderate. Note that neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
  • Which extremity is affected — dominant (major) versus non-dominant (minor), which can change the rating percentage.
  • Combined nerve injuries — these should be rated by reference to the major involvement, or, if sufficient in extent, by considering radicular group ratings.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 8713. It is provided for general educational purposes and does not guarantee any specific rating or outcome.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8713. 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 8713 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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