Conditions / Neurological
38 CFR 4.124a, diagnostic code 8520 · checked 2026-10-20
VA rating for Sciatic nerve (radiculopathy)
VA rates Sciatic nerve (radiculopathy) under diagnostic code 8520 (Paralysis of the sciatic nerve) at 5 levels from 10% to 80%. The lowest paid level, 10%, is worth $180.42 a month and the highest, 80%, $2,102.15 to a veteran alone at the rates effective December 1, 2025.
- 1Diagnostic code DC 8520
- 2Highest level 80% · $2,102.15
- 3Lowest paid level 10% · $180.42
Rating criteria for DC 8520
| Rating | What the schedule requires |
|---|---|
| 80% | Complete paralysis: the foot dangles and drops, no active movement possible of muscles below the knee, flexion of knee weakened or (very rarely) lost. |
| 60% | Incomplete paralysis, severe, with marked muscular atrophy. |
| 40% | Incomplete paralysis, moderately severe. |
| 20% | Incomplete paralysis, moderate. |
| 10% | Incomplete paralysis, mild. |
Summarized from eCFR, 38 CFR 4.124a Schedule of ratings, neurological conditions and convulsive disorders, diagnostic code 8520, checked 2026-10-20. The regulation's own wording governs.
Notes in the schedule
- Incomplete paralysis means impaired function substantially less than the picture for complete paralysis. When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should be for the mild, or at most the moderate, degree.
- Radiculopathy from a back condition is rated separately from the spine rating, under the nerve affected.
What each level pays
| Level | Alone | With spouse | With tinnitus 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | 82 → 80% |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | 64 → 60% |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | 46 → 50% |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 | 28 → 30% |
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | 19 → 20% |
3 of the 5 compensable levels are 30% or higher, where dependents raise the payment; below that the rate is flat. The spread from the lowest paid level to the highest is $1,921.73 a month. The last column shows the combined rating if this condition is joined by a 10% tinnitus rating.
Both sides: the bilateral factor
Sciatic nerve (radiculopathy) affects a leg or foot, so when both sides are rated, 38 CFR 4.26 applies. Two ratings of 10% combine to 19; the bilateral factor adds 10% of that, giving 21, rated 20%. With 80% on one side and 10% on the other, the paired value is 90, rated 90%. Other ratings on paired limbs join the same bilateral group; the bilateral factor guide shows how.
How this rating fits a claim
The top level, 80%, is at or above the 60% that 38 CFR 4.16(a) sets for a single disability to qualify for consideration of a total rating based on unemployability. A rating under DC 8520 is combined with every other rating by Table I, never added; the calculator shows the result with your other ratings and dependents.
The rating is set from the evidence at the time of the decision, usually including a VA examination. If the condition has worsened since, VA accepts a claim for an increase on VA Form 21-526EZ; see how to request an increase.
Related conditions
- Migraines (DC 8100)
- Carpal tunnel (median nerve) (DC 8515)
- Common peroneal nerve (foot drop) (DC 8521)
- Upper radicular group (C5-C6 nerves) (DC 8510)
- Epilepsy (seizures) (DC 8910)
Pay at the top level: 80% VA pay. At the lowest paid level: 10% VA pay.
Rating Ledger is not part of VA and does not file or decide claims. Amounts are VA's published monthly rates effective December 1, 2025 for a veteran, before any deduction or special monthly compensation; ratings follow 38 CFR 4.25 and 38 CFR 4.26 and 38 CFR 4.124a, diagnostic code 8520. Last checked 2026-10-20. Only a VA rating decision sets a rating or a payment. See the methodology.