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Rating guide · Spine

Back & Spine: Getting Rated for the Whole Picture

Years of rucking, loading aircraft, or riding in vehicles take a toll on the spine. Many back ratings come in low because the exam caught a good day, or because nerve symptoms in the legs were never rated.

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How motion is measured
Flare-ups must be considered
Disc disease formula
Separate leg nerve ratings

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How it’s measured

Your Rating Starts With a Goniometer

Most back conditions, including strains, arthritis, degenerative disc disease and stenosis, are rated under the VA’s general spine formula, mainly on range of motion. The examiner measures how far you can bend forward, backward, sideways and twist.

For the lower back, normal forward bending is 90 degrees, and all six movements together total 240 degrees. The further below normal you are, the higher the rating. The neck is measured and rated separately.

38 CFR 4.71a

Lower Back Rating Criteria

Applies with or without pain, stiffness or aching. 2026 pay for a veteran with no dependents.

Thoracolumbar criteria, current as of October 2026. Pay effective December 1, 2025.
Rating	VA criteria	2026 pay (alone)
100%	Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine.	$3,938.58
50%	Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.	$1,132.90
40%	Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or, favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.	$795.84
20%	Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees; or, the combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine not greater than 120 degrees; or, muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour such as scoliosis, reversed lordosis, or abnormal kyphosis.	$356.66
10%	Forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 60 degrees but not greater than 85 degrees; or, combined range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 120 degrees but not greater than 235 degrees; or, muscle spasm, guarding, or localized tenderness not resulting in abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour; or, vertebral body fracture with loss of 50 percent or more of the height.	$180.42

Bad days count

Make Sure the Exam Reflects Your Bad Days

Stop when it hurts. The examiner should note where pain starts. Pushing past it to “do your best” can understate your limits.
Describe flare-ups in detail: how often, how long, and what you can’t do. The examiner is supposed to estimate extra motion lost during flare-ups even if you’re not having one that day.
Mention repetitive use. Many veterans can bend once but not ten times, or not after a long day in a tractor seat or a truck cab.

Disc disease

The Alternative Formula for Disc Disease

Intervertebral disc syndrome can be rated on incapacitating episodes instead, whichever gives the higher rating.

An incapacitating episode requires bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician (38 CFR 4.71a).
Rating	VA criteria	2026 pay (alone)
60%	With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 6 weeks during the past 12 months.	$1,435.02
40%	With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks during the past 12 months.	$795.84
20%	With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least 2 weeks but less than 4 weeks during the past 12 months.	$356.66
10%	With incapacitating episodes having a total duration of at least one week but less than 2 weeks during the past 12 months.	$180.42

Leg symptoms

Sciatica & Radiculopathy: A Separate Rating Per Leg

Numbness, tingling, burning or weakness running down a leg is rated separately from the back, under the sciatic nerve code, once for each leg affected.

From 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8520. Purely sensory symptoms are generally rated mild or at most moderate; the bilateral factor applies when both legs are affected.
Rating	VA criteria
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.

Related conditions

What Else a Back Injury Can Lead To

Hip and knee problems from an altered gait, bowel or bladder issues and erectile dysfunction from nerve involvement, and depression from chronic pain can all be rated separately with the right evidence. Use the calculator to see how adding leg ratings changes your combined percentage.

FAQ

Back Pain VA Rating: Common Questions

What forward bending gets a 40% back rating?

Forward flexion of the lower back of 30 degrees or less, or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine, supports 40%.

Can I be rated for sciatica in both legs?

Yes. Each leg is rated separately under the sciatic nerve criteria, and the bilateral factor adds a little more when both are affected.

My range of motion was normal on exam day. Am I stuck at 0%?

Not necessarily. Muscle spasm, guarding or localized tenderness can support 10%, and the examiner should estimate additional limitation during flare-ups and repeated use.

Do sick days count as incapacitating episodes?

Only if a physician prescribed bed rest and treated you. Rest you chose on your own doesn’t count under the disc disease formula.

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