Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders§ 4.124aUpdated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 8729Neuralgia.

A single 0% rating under § 4.124a. Here is what the VA requires for it.

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  1. 0%

    Mild or moderate

How it is applied

General rating formula

Rate as Paralysis of: (DC 8529)

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 8529). Per § 4.124, neuralgia is rated at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.

Neuralgia (Diagnostic Code 8729)

Understanding Your VA Disability Rating

Neuralgia is a neurological condition rated by the VA under 38 CFR § 4.124a, within the body system covering Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders.

What This Condition Involves

Neuralgia (Diagnostic Code 8729) is evaluated by analogy to Paralysis of the External Cutaneous Nerve of the Thigh (Diagnostic Code 8529). This means the VA applies the rating framework for that nerve when assessing neuralgia under this code.

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

Available Rating Levels

Based on the rating schedule for this diagnostic code, the following level is available:

RatingCriteria
0%Mild or moderate

What the VA Looks For

When rating neuralgia under Diagnostic Code 8729, the VA:

  • Evaluates the condition by analogy to Paralysis of: (DC 8529).
  • Applies the limit set out in § 4.124, under which neuralgia is capped at a maximum of moderate incomplete paralysis.
  • Distinguishes between mild and moderate presentations, both of which fall within the 0% level shown in the rating schedule for this code.

This information is drawn from the VA rating schedule under § 4.124a and § 4.124. It is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice or a guarantee of any specific rating outcome.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.124a, diagnostic code 8729. 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 8729 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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