Back Pain VA Rating: Range of Motion, Flare-Ups and Radiculopathy Explained
How VA rates back pain and neck conditions by range of motion, how flare-ups and nerve symptoms add to the rating, and how to prepare for the exam.
Ratings and Evaluations
How VA rates the most commonly claimed conditions, with the actual criteria for each percentage and how ratings combine.
Depression and Anxiety VA Ratings: How They Are Rated and How to Claim Them
How VA rates depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions, how to claim them directly or as secondary to chronic pain, and what evidence helps.
VA Rating Reductions: The 5, 10 and 20-Year Rules and How to Respond
When VA can reduce a disability rating, the protections that build up over 5, 10 and 20 years, and exactly what to do if you get a proposed reduction letter.
How to File for a VA Rating Increase (and the Risks to Know First)
If a service-connected condition has worsened, you can file for a VA rating increase. How to file, what evidence works, and how to weigh the reduction risk.
Hearing Loss VA Rating: The Rating Chart and the Maryland CNC Test (2026)
VA rates hearing loss mechanically from a puretone test and the Maryland CNC speech test. How the tables work and why most ratings are 0% or 10%.
Tinnitus VA Rating: Why It Is 10% and How to Get It Service Connected (2026)
Tinnitus is rated at a flat 10% under Diagnostic Code 6260. How to prove service connection, what it can lead to, and the proposed rule change.
Migraine VA Rating: What “Prostrating” Means and How to Reach 30% or 50% (2026)
VA rates migraines under Diagnostic Code 8100 by how often you have prostrating attacks. What that means and how to document them.
PTSD VA Rating: What Each Level From 0% to 100% Means (2026)
How VA rates PTSD under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders, what each percentage looks like, and how to prove your stressor.
VA Math Explained: How Combined Disability Ratings Really Work (2026)
VA math explained: why 50% plus 30% is 70% and not 80%. How VA combines ratings, how rounding works, and how the bilateral factor can raise your rating.
Sleep Apnea VA Rating: The 50% CPAP Rating and How to Get Service Connected (2026)
How VA rates sleep apnea under Diagnostic Code 6847, why service connection is the hard part, secondary claims, and the proposed rule changes.