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VA rates migraines on one thing: how often you have attacks severe enough to put you out of action. The regulation calls these prostrating attacks. Pain level, type of headache, and what medication you take are not the test. Frequency of prostrating attacks is.
Migraines are commonly under-rated, mostly because veterans describe “bad headaches” and never say how often those headaches make them stop everything.
The short version
- Migraines are rated under Diagnostic Code 8100 at 0%, 10%, 30%, or 50%.
- 50% is the maximum schedular rating.
- A prostrating attack is one that forces you to stop and lie down.
- 30% needs prostrating attacks about once a month.
- 50% needs very frequent, prolonged attacks that seriously affect your ability to work.
- A headache log is the single most useful piece of evidence.
On this page
The rating criteria
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 0% | Less frequent attacks |
| 10% | Characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months |
| 30% | Characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once a month over the last several months |
| 50% | Very frequent, completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability |
What the key terms mean
Prostrating. The regulation does not define it. VA’s guidance describes it as causing extreme exhaustion, powerlessness, or incapacitation, with a substantial inability to engage in ordinary activities. In practice: you have to stop what you are doing, lie down in a dark and quiet room, and wait it out. A headache you work through with medication is not prostrating.
Completely prostrating. Essentially total inability to function during the attack.
Prolonged. Lasting hours, not minutes.
Very frequent. Not defined, but it must be more often than once a month. Weekly attacks clearly qualify.
Severe economic inadaptability. This does not mean you cannot work at all. It means the migraines seriously interfere with your ability to work or would be capable of doing so: frequent absences, leaving early, reduced productivity, needing accommodations, lost jobs. Veterans who are employed can and do receive 50%.
How to document migraines
Keep a headache log
For at least three months, record for every attack:
- Date and start time
- How long it lasted
- Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, light and sound sensitivity, aura
- Whether you had to lie down or stop activity
- What you missed: work hours, appointments, family events
- Medication taken
A log turns “I get bad migraines” into “I had 11 prostrating attacks in the last 90 days, averaging six hours each, and missed 9 days of work.”
Get it into your medical records
Tell your doctor the frequency and that the attacks are prostrating, using that word. Ask that it be recorded in the notes. Records of prescriptions for migraine medication and any emergency or urgent care visits help.
Work evidence
For 50%, show the economic impact:
- Leave records, or a letter from your employer about absences
- Accommodations such as a dark room, flexible hours, or remote work
- Statements from supervisors or coworkers
- If self-employed, lost contracts or reduced hours
Witness statements
A spouse or coworker who has seen you during an attack can describe exactly what happens. See buddy statements.
At the C&P exam
The examiner fills out the headache DBQ, which asks directly whether you have prostrating attacks and how often. Bring your log. Give numbers. If the examiner asks “how often do you get headaches,” answer with both the total and the number that are prostrating. See the C&P exam guide.
Getting service connected
- Direct. Headaches treated in service, a head injury, or a blast exposure, with continuing symptoms since.
- Secondary. Migraines are frequently linked to other service-connected conditions:
| Primary condition | Connection |
|---|---|
| Traumatic brain injury | Post-traumatic headaches are common |
| Neck conditions | Cervicogenic headaches |
| PTSD, anxiety, depression | Stress and sleep disruption as triggers |
| Tinnitus | Associated in medical literature |
| Sleep apnea | Morning headaches from poor oxygenation |
| Medications | Headache as a side effect |
- Presumptive. Headaches can be part of an undiagnosed illness for Gulf War veterans.
Secondary claims need a nexus opinion. See secondary conditions.
If 50% does not reflect how disabled you are
Fifty percent is the ceiling under this code. If migraines keep you from holding a job:
- TDIU. A single 50% rating does not meet the usual threshold alone, but combined with other ratings it may, and VA can also consider cases below the thresholds. See TDIU.
- Related conditions. Depression or anxiety caused by chronic migraines can be rated separately.
Common mistakes
- Reporting the number of headaches but not the number of prostrating ones
- No record of frequency in your treatment notes
- Telling the examiner you “push through” at work, without mentioning the days you could not
- Filing for 50% with no evidence of the effect on work
Free printable checklist. Everything to gather before you file, what to bring to your C&P exam, and what to check in your decision, on two pages.
Last reviewed October 2026. This guide is general educational information, not legal or medical advice, and this site is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change. Confirm details on VA.gov or with an accredited representative. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.