Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8720Neuralgia.

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

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  1. 20%

    Incomplete: Moderate

  2. 10%

    Incomplete: Mild

How it is applied

General rating formula

Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8520)

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 8520). Per § 4.124, neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.

Neuralgia (Diagnostic Code 8720)

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders — 38 CFR § 4.124a

Understanding This Condition

Neuralgia is a nerve-related condition rated under Diagnostic Code 8720. Because it does not have its own standalone rating table, the VA rates neuralgia by analogy to Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve (Diagnostic Code 8520).

Under § 4.124, neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis. This means the available rating levels for this condition are capped, and are limited to the mild and moderate incomplete paralysis levels described below.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns one of the following disability ratings based on the severity of the incomplete paralysis:

RatingWhat It Reflects
20%Incomplete paralysis — Moderate
10%Incomplete paralysis — Mild

What the VA Looks For

When rating neuralgia under this diagnostic code, the VA:

  • Rates by analogy to DC 8520 (Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve), applying that framework to the neuralgia condition.
  • Applies the § 4.124 limitation, under which neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
  • Determines whether the incomplete paralysis is mild or moderate, which corresponds to the 10% and 20% rating levels respectively.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.124a and § 4.124. Individual rating determinations depend on the specific evidence in each case.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8720. 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 8720 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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