Cervical Spine (Neck) Claims Guide
Neck conditions, usually cervical strain or degenerative disc disease, are rated under the same General Rating Formula the VA uses for the whole spine. The rating turns mostly on how far your neck bends forward and your total range of motion, with a separate path for disc disease measured by flare-up bed rest, and separate add-on ratings for any nerve symptoms that radiate into the arms. This guide walks the whole path: how service connection works, how a neck condition gets connected to your service, what the record needs to show, why these claims get denied, a checklist before you file, what the claims process looks like step by step, how to read your decision letter, and what to do whether you win or you're denied.
Overview
Cervical spine (neck) conditions, most often cervical strain (DC 5237) or intervertebral disc syndrome (DC 5243), are among the more commonly claimed musculoskeletal disabilities. Both codes are rated under the same General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (38 CFR 4.71a), whether the diagnosis is a strain, degenerative arthritis, or disc disease. Not every disc diagnosis is DC 5243: that code is assigned only when disc herniation compresses or irritates the adjacent nerve root, and other disc diagnoses, including degenerative disc disease, are assigned under DC 5242.
This guide is built from the same kind of Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions used across our claims guides. One thing worth knowing up front: the neck (cervical spine) and the low back (lumbar spine) are rated under the identical formula, and most published spine decisions are actually about the low back. The lessons below still apply to a neck claim, and the guide notes where a point comes from a case that was specifically about the neck. The two body parts are legally treated as separate diagnoses, so a low back grant does not carry a neck claim, and the reverse is also true.
One-page guide: Cervical Spine Claim in One Page
Five-part cervical-spine claim guide covering a current neck diagnosis, direct and secondary service-connection paths, cervical range-of-motion measurements, spasm and guarding, IVDS incapacitating-episode criteria, separately evaluated arm radiculopathy, rating levels from 10 to 40 percent, and a pre-filing checklist. Opens the full-size chart, free to save or print.
Symptoms Recorded in Granted Back and neck (spine) Decisions
We analyzed 19,827 granted Board decisions involving back and neck (spine) for symptoms named in sentences about the condition (rating-criteria recitations excluded). Descriptive of the published record, what the Board wrote down, not a checklist of what to report.
Detected by phrase-reading the decision text with condition-specific vocabularies. Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, RateMyVSO analysis.
ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes
The ICD-10 diagnosis codes most commonly used for DC 5237, Lumbosacral or cervical strain (the kind on your medical records, decision letter, or C&P exam report). VA rates the disability and its residuals, not the diagnosis itself, so coding can vary.
How Service Connection Works, At a High Level
Before getting into the specific pathways below, it helps to understand the three things every neck claim ultimately has to show. This is the same basic test that applies to any VA disability claim, just applied to the cervical spine.
- A current diagnosis. A doctor must find that you actually have a neck condition now, such as cervical strain, arthritis, or degenerative disc disease. This part is sometimes the whole ballgame: a neck claim can be denied purely because no current cervical diagnosis is anywhere in the file, even where the veteran won service connection for a different part of the spine in the same decision.
- An in-service cause. An injury, event, or disease during your service, such as a fall, a lifting injury, an ejection or hard landing, or years of documented wear and tear. A service treatment record or credible testimony can establish this.
- A medical nexus. Usually a medical opinion connecting your current neck condition to that in-service cause, with clear reasoning, not just a conclusion. For a chronic disease like arthritis, credible proof of continuous symptoms since service can substitute for a formal nexus opinion.
Getting the Neck Service Connected
A neck condition can be service connected through several routes. Each requires its own evidence, and more than one can apply at the same time.
Direct Service Connection
An in-service neck injury (whiplash from a vehicle accident, a fall, heavy load-bearing, an ejection or hard landing), or documented chronic neck complaints in service, plus a current diagnosis and a nexus opinion connecting the two. A service treatment record or credible, consistent testimony about the in-service event can establish the cause. See service connection.
Secondary via posture or mechanics from another service-connected condition
A service-connected condition that altered your posture or mechanics, for example a service-connected low back or shoulder disability, can cause or aggravate the neck. This is a recognized secondary pathway (38 CFR 3.310) and, as with any secondary claim, the medical opinion should address both whether the primary condition caused the neck problem and whether it made an existing one worse.
Continuity of symptoms for a chronic disease (arthritis)
Arthritis of the spine is a chronic disease under VA regulation. If your neck showed symptoms in service and you have had continuous symptoms since, that continuity can link the condition to service without a separate nexus opinion (38 CFR 3.303(b); 38 CFR 3.309(a)). This is often the most efficient path for a veteran who never got a documented in-service diagnosis but can show the pain never actually went away. Describe how the symptoms have continued from service to now, and back it up with buddy or family statements where you can.
Service Connection by Aggravation
When a veteran had a documented pre-existing neck condition that was permanently worsened beyond its natural progression by military service, aggravation-based service connection is available.
What VA Looks For: Tests, Records, and Diagnostic Codes
Whether you are filing directly or secondary to another condition, the record VA actually reviews centers on a small set of documents and data points.
- Range-of-motion measurements in degrees: forward flexion and the combined total for all six neck movements, measured with a goniometer, including after repetitive use and during a flare-up where possible.
- Imaging: X-ray or MRI confirming arthritis, disc disease, or a structural injury.
- Muscle spasm, guarding, or abnormal gait and posture, which can support a rating even when the flexion number alone looks better.
- For IVDS, records of physician-prescribed bed rest and the physician's treatment documenting incapacitating episodes and their total duration over the past 12 months.
- A neurological exam capturing any radiating arm symptoms (side, nerve, reflexes, strength, sensation).
- The diagnostic codes involved: DC 5237 for cervical strain, DC 5243 for intervertebral disc syndrome, plus the specific upper-extremity nerve code for any separately rated radiculopathy.
- The actual form the examiner fills out: a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) specific to the spine, covered in more detail later in this guide.
Evidence That Wins
We analyzed the Board's published DC 5237 decisions: a private nexus opinion in the file goes with a much higher grant rate, shown below.
- Range-of-motion measurements in degrees, forward flexion and the combined total, taken with a goniometer and including after repetitive use.
- Documented flare-ups and any abnormal gait or posture / muscle spasm, which can reach 20% even with decent flexion numbers.
- For IVDS, records of physician-prescribed bed rest and the physician's treatment showing the weeks of incapacitating episodes.
- A neurological exam capturing any arm radiculopathy (side, nerve, reflexes, strength, sensation) so the separate rating is not missed.
- Imaging (X-ray, MRI) confirming the diagnosis, and the neck/spine DBQ. See the DBQ guide and C&P exam prep.
- A nexus opinion that explains its reasoning, not just a conclusion. What matters most in a medical opinion is the reasoning behind it and whether it applies the record to your specific facts. A treating provider who reviews your history and cites supporting medical literature, rather than issuing a bare conclusion, is given far more weight.
- Buddy and family statements describing your symptoms since service. Credible lay statements, especially from people who knew you before and after service, can carry a claim on their own, particularly for a chronic-disease continuity argument.
- For arthritis, a clear continuity-of-symptoms account connecting an in-service onset to the present, which can substitute for a formal nexus opinion under the chronic-disease rule.
Evidence Cited in Published Back and neck (spine) Decisions
We analyzed 294,193 published Board decisions involving back and neck (spine) for condition-specific evidence, counting only case-specific mentions (boilerplate recitations excluded). "Favorable" is the share of decisions citing that evidence where every issue was granted or the outcome was mixed; the baseline across all these decisions is 45.1%, combining every diagnostic code below. Evidence appearing in a decision does not mean it decided the case. Descriptive of the published record, not a prediction.
By diagnostic code
These codes are grouped together above. They do not perform the same, so find your own code here rather than reading the combined figure. A code retired in the schedule rewrites appears without a link, because its decisions were judged under criteria that no longer apply.
Detected by phrase-reading the decision text with condition-specific vocabularies. Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, RateMyVSO analysis.
Board Grants, Dissected
The Board decisions below all involve claims for lumbosacral or cervical strain decided as direct service connection. In each case, the veteran had already been diagnosed with the strain and had documented some kind of injury or repeated stress in service. The real fight was over the "nexus," meaning whether the strain was actually caused by that in-service event. Several VA examiners tried to deny these claims by requiring proof of a "chronic" injury in service or a long paper trail of treatment. The Board rejected that approach again and again, explaining that your own consistent reports of pain since service can be enough. Remember that Board decisions are not binding on future cases, but the reasoning below shows a clear pattern.
Board rejects "isolated event" theory for back and neck strain Citation A26039270 (April 2026), Hearing docket
The record: The veteran had documented lumbar and cervical strain treatment in service and told VA examiners his back and neck pain had continued ever since. Two separate VA examiners gave negative opinions, reasoning that his in-service back and neck problems were "isolated" events with no proof of chronic issues near separation, and that his complaints didn't start again until years later.
Why it won: The Board found both negative opinions flawed. It wrote that examiners "imposed an improper standard when opining that a single in-service event cannot cause a chronic condition," and explained that a persistence of symptoms since service can establish a nexus "absent clear and convincing medical evidence to the contrary." A lack of medical evidence is not clear and convincing. The veteran's own competent, credible statements about ongoing pain carried the day.
Private nexus opinion outweighs a bare denial Citation A26039254 (April 2026), Hearing docket
The record: The veteran reported falling roughly 10 feet from a ladder onto his back during a deployment to Kuwait. Service treatment records did not document a back injury, but 12 years of lay statements and treatment records, including one from a fellow service member who witnessed the fall, told a consistent story. A private examiner opined it was "very highly likely" the back disability, including a vertebral fracture, was due to the fall, explaining that the forces needed to fracture vertebral endplates require trauma like this.
Why it won: The Board found the in-service injury established by the "internal consistency, facial plausibility, and consistency" of the lay and medical evidence, even without contemporaneous records. The private opinion was given significant weight because it acknowledged the in-service injury and gave a pathological explanation. Radiculopathy in both legs was also connected as secondary to the now-service-connected back disability.
VA's own examiner supplies the nexus Citation A26039236 (April 2026), Direct Review docket
The record: The veteran, a former petroleum supply specialist, was diagnosed with a cervical strain. A VA medical opinion was obtained to address whether the neck condition was secondary to his service-connected back condition. The examiner found no secondary relationship, but noted that the veteran's in-service job involved heavy lifting and stated the neck strain "was caused directly by his in service job."
Why it won: The Board found this statement offered "a clear conclusion based on the evidence of record" under the standard for adequate medical opinions. Even though the opinion was requested to answer a secondary-connection question, the examiner's own words established direct service connection, and the Board granted the claim on that basis.
Negative opinions fail to address the veteran's own statements Citation A26038688 (April 2026), Hearing docket
The record: The veteran, a former Navy SEAL trainee, described sharp neck pain and low back pain during BUDs/SEAL training, including carrying heavy weight overhead. He said he did not report these injuries at the time because he did not want them to reflect badly on him, but that the pain had continued since service. VA examiners gave negative nexus opinions for both the cervical strain and the low back disability.
Why it won: The Board gave the negative opinions no probative weight because they did not address the veteran's competent lay statements about when his symptoms started and that they had continued. Citing Buchanan v. Nicholson, the Board found the veteran's own reports, standing alone, were enough to establish that his cervical strain and low back disability began in service and continued afterward.
"No chronicity of care" is not a valid reason to deny Citation A26038687 (April 2026), Hearing docket
The record: The veteran, who served in the Army National Guard, said his low back pain began during basic training. A line of duty investigation found his back pain did not occur in the line of duty, though the veteran said he had reported the pain to his Drill Sergeant and was told it was just his body adjusting. A VA examiner gave a negative opinion stating there was "no evidence of chronicity of care" for his back pain in service.
Why it won: The Board found the examiner's opinion inadequate because "chronicity of care" is not required to establish service connection, and a veteran is competent to report the onset and continuity of his own symptoms. The Board also noted the opinion relied on an inaccurate factual premise, since treatment records showed continuing complaints of back pain in the years after service. Resolving doubt in the veteran's favor, the claim was granted.
Why These Claims Get Denied
Beyond the general "no nexus" and "no diagnosis" reasons covered above, a few specific denial patterns show up often enough in published spine decisions to call out on their own.
- A diagnosis for one part of the spine does not carry a claim for a different part. The neck and low back are separate body parts with separate diagnoses. Claims have been denied for the neck specifically, even where the same overall decision granted the low back, because no current cervical diagnosis was ever in the file. Make sure each body part you claim has its own diagnosis, in-service cause, and nexus.
- A clear diagnosis with no connection to service. Having a documented neck condition, even a clear one, is not enough by itself. Claims are denied where the disability plainly exists but nothing in the record ties it to service, and a normal separation exam with no complaint of recurrent pain contradicts a later claim of continuous symptoms.
- Later claims of continuity contradicted by silent records. Where service and separation records make no mention of the condition, and the record instead points to a post-service accident as the real cause, the Board has denied the connection.
- The veteran's own belief about the cause, without a doctor's opinion behind it. VA treats the cause of a spine condition as a medical question a non-doctor cannot answer on their own. A veteran's personal opinion that service caused the condition, without a supporting medical nexus, does not carry the claim.
Common Mistakes
Patterns the published DC 5237 decisions flag most often. In the Board's classified service-connection denials for cervical spine conditions, a missing medical nexus is the single largest reason.
- No nexus opinion in the file. "No nexus" is the leading denial reason for DC 5237. In the published decisions, a private nexus opinion goes with a much higher grant rate. A useful opinion names the in-service injury or the service-connected primary and explains the link to the neck.
- No current diagnosis tied to the neck. A missing current diagnosis is another common denial reason. Range-of-motion complaints alone, without imaging or a clinician naming cervical strain, arthritis, or disc disease, leave the claim without a foundation.
- Nothing in the record showing the in-service event. Many denials lacked documented in-service onset. Service treatment records or lay statements describing the whiplash, fall, or chronic neck complaints carry the timeline.
- Skipping the range-of-motion numbers in degrees. The rating table runs on forward flexion and the combined total measured with a goniometer, including after repetitive use. An exam without those figures cannot place the neck on the table.
- Leaving arm radiculopathy undocumented. Radiating arm symptoms are rated separately for each affected arm. When the exam does not capture side, nerve, reflexes, strength, and sensation, that separate rating is missed.
- Missing a scheduled VA exam. Failing to appear for a scheduled exam without good cause can deny a claim, or an increased rating, as a matter of law, regardless of how strong the rest of the evidence is (38 CFR 3.655). Keep your address current and go to every exam.
- Expecting a late claim to be backdated. Your effective date is generally the date you filed your claim or your intent to file, not the date the condition began (38 CFR 3.400, 3.155). A slow-moving representative does not move that date earlier.
Do's and Don'ts
A condensed version of everything above, in the order it actually matters when you sit down to build your file.
- Get examined so a current neck diagnosis, separate from any low back diagnosis, is actually in your record.
- Get a nexus opinion that explains its reasoning and reviews your history, not a bare conclusion.
- Report your symptoms since service and gather buddy and family statements describing how they've continued.
- For arthritis, lean on continuity of symptoms since service instead of relying only on a formal nexus opinion.
- If you were hurt during active duty for training in the line of duty, document it, that period counts as active service.
- Make sure range-of-motion measurements in degrees and any arm radiculopathy are documented at every exam.
- Point out flaws in a VA exam that misses a documented injury, ignores your statements, or gives only a conclusory opinion.
- Attend every scheduled VA exam and keep your contact information current.
- If you were denied before, file a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence rather than starting over.
- Don't assume a diagnosis alone wins the claim, you still need the in-service cause and the medical link.
- Don't confuse a neck claim with a low back claim, each needs its own diagnosis, in-service cause, and link.
- Don't let your account of when symptoms began contradict your service and separation records.
- Don't rely only on your own opinion about what caused it, causation for a spine condition is treated as a medical question.
- Don't skip a scheduled VA exam, missing it without good cause can deny the claim as a matter of law.
- Don't expect a late claim to be backdated, your effective date usually runs from when you filed, not from when symptoms started.
- Don't expect pain alone, without documented loss of motion or function, to raise your rating.
How the Spine Formula Works
The neck is rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (38 CFR 4.71a). The key point: the formula applies no matter the exact diagnosis, cervical strain (DC 5237), degenerative arthritis, or disc disease all use the same range-of-motion table. What you are measured on is forward flexion (chin to chest) and combined range of motion (all six neck movements added together).
For VA purposes, normal cervical motion is: forward flexion 0 to 45 degrees, extension 0 to 45, left and right lateral flexion 0 to 45 each, and left and right rotation 0 to 80 each, for a normal combined total of 340 degrees.
The Neck Rating Table
A 100% rating exists only for unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine (neck and back fused together), which is rare. Whichever measure gets you the higher level is the one that applies, so a near-normal flexion number can still reach 20% if muscle spasm causes an abnormal posture.
Disc Disease: The IVDS Alternative
If your neck condition is intervertebral disc syndrome (DC 5243), the VA can rate it either by the range-of-motion table above or by the Formula for Incapacitating Episodes, whichever gives the higher rating. DC 5243 is assigned only when disc herniation causes compression or irritation of the adjacent nerve root; other disc diagnoses are assigned under DC 5242 and are rated on the range-of-motion table. An "incapacitating episode" is a period of acute signs and symptoms due to IVDS that required bed rest prescribed by a physician and treatment by a physician, over the past 12 months. Both parts are required: prescribed bed rest on its own does not meet the definition, and self-directed rest never does.
Go deeper: open the full DC 5243 breakdown- What the VA measures at your C&P exam
- Evidence that has won at the Board
- Inside the rater's playbook: grant, denial, and remand rates
- Secondary condition map
Arm Symptoms: Separately Rated Radiculopathy
A bad neck often pinches nerve roots and sends pain, numbness, or weakness down the arms. The spine formula expressly directs the VA to rate that associated radiculopathy separately from the neck itself, one rating for each affected arm, under the upper-extremity nerve codes. That means a single neck condition can yield a neck rating plus one or two arm-nerve ratings. The same severity scale and "wholly sensory" cap covered in the sciatica and radiculopathy guide apply. Make sure the exam documents any radiating arm symptoms, side, nerve, reflexes, strength, and sensation, it is a commonly missed add-on rating.
Quick Checklist Before You File
Bring these together before you submit anything.
- Get examined so a current neck diagnosis, separate from any low back diagnosis, is in the record.
- Find the service record, incident, or credible account of the in-service injury or years of wear and tear.
- Get a medical nexus opinion that reviews your history and explains its reasoning, not a bare conclusion.
- Gather buddy and family statements describing your symptoms from service until now.
- For arthritis, document that your symptoms have been continuous since service.
- Take range-of-motion measurements in degrees, including after repetitive use, and note any abnormal gait, spasm, or arm radiculopathy.
- Read any VA exam closely and point out wrong facts or ignored statements.
- Attend every scheduled VA exam and keep your contact information current.
- If you were denied before: new and relevant evidence for a Supplemental Claim, not just a repeat of what was already considered.
For the mechanics of actually submitting the claim, see the Standard Claim Guide and the Fully Developed Claim Guide (filing with all your evidence up front can speed up the decision).
The Claims Process, Step by Step
Once you file, your claim moves through a series of hand-offs. Understanding who does what helps you know who to contact, and what to expect, at each stage.
- You file the claim. Directly with VA, through VA.gov, or with the help of an accredited representative.
- VA acknowledges the claim and assigns it for development. A Veteran Service Representative (VSR) is assigned to gather your service treatment records, VA and private medical records, and any other evidence needed.
- The VSR orders a Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam if one is needed. Most direct and secondary neck claims require one, especially where a nexus opinion is needed.
- The C&P exam is conducted. A VA clinician or contracted examiner measures range of motion with a goniometer, checks for muscle spasm, abnormal gait or posture, and arm radiculopathy, and completes a spine Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ), including a nexus opinion where relevant.
- The file goes to a Rating Veteran Service Representative (RVSR), the "rater." The rater reviews the complete file, including the exam results, and decides whether service connection is warranted and at what percentage.
- A senior reviewer may review the decision before it's finalized, depending on the complexity of the claim.
- VA issues the decision letter. This states whether the claim is granted or denied, the rating percentage if granted, the effective date, and the reasons behind the decision.
- If you disagree, you choose an appeal lane. Higher-Level Review, Supplemental Claim, or a Board appeal, covered later in this guide.
Who's who: VSO vs. VSR vs. Rater vs. C&P Examiner
Your VSO
An accredited representative from a veterans service organization, or an accredited attorney or claims agent. Not a VA employee. Helps you prepare, gather evidence, and file, and can represent you through an appeal. Has no authority to decide your claim.
VSR (Veteran Service Representative)
VA staff who "develops" your claim: requests records, schedules the C&P exam, and assembles the file. Does not decide the rating.
Rater (RVSR)
VA staff who reviews the completed file and makes the actual decision, service connection or denial, and the percentage. This is the person whose judgment the decision letter reflects.
C&P Examiner
A VA clinician or a contracted medical examiner who conducts the exam, measures range of motion, and completes the DBQ. Documents findings and, where asked, a nexus opinion. Does not decide the claim.
For the full walkthrough of every stage with more detail, see Inside Your Claim and Claim Stages.
DBQs and Your C&P Exam
A Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is the standardized form an examiner completes for your condition, it structures the exam findings into the specific data points VA's rating schedule requires (for the spine, that includes forward flexion, the combined range of motion, any muscle spasm or abnormal gait, and, for disc disease, incapacitating episodes). See the DBQ Guide for how these forms work, including whether a private DBQ completed by your own doctor can be submitted instead of relying solely on a VA exam.
Before your C&P exam, bring a clear, specific account of your symptoms, focus on your worst days and how the condition affects daily function, not just how you feel on an average day, and mention any pain radiating into your arms so the examiner tests for it. Be consistent with what's already in your medical records and prior statements. For a full walkthrough of what to expect and how to prepare, see the C&P Exam Prep Guide.
Reading Your Decision Letter, and What to Do If Denied
Your decision letter has two parts: a narrative section explaining the reasoning (often called "reasons and bases"), and a codesheet showing the actual rating percentage, the effective date, and the diagnostic code used. See the Reading Your Decision Letter Guide for how to find and interpret each part, or use the Letter Interpreter tool to upload your own letter and get a plain-English breakdown.
If your claim is denied, or the rating is lower than you expected, you have three main lanes:
- Supplemental Claim: refile with new and relevant evidence, such as a new nexus opinion or updated imaging. See Supplemental Claim Guide.
- Higher-Level Review (HLR): a senior reviewer looks at the same evidence again for a difference of opinion, no new evidence is added. See HLR Guide.
- Board Appeal: your case goes to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans' Appeals, with options for a direct review, an evidence docket, or a hearing. See Board Appeal Guide.
Not sure which lane fits your situation? See the Appeals decision guide for a side-by-side comparison of all three.
After You Win: Maintaining Your Rating
A grant is not always the end of the story. Keep your treatment consistent, continued follow-up with your treating provider, and updated imaging or range-of-motion measurements if your condition changes, protects you if VA schedules a future reexamination. Not every rating gets reexamined; understand when a rating becomes protected from future review (including Permanent and Total status) and what to do if VA proposes to reduce it. See Protect Your Rating and Future Reexaminations for the specifics.
If your neck condition worsens after the initial grant, for example a drop in range of motion or new incapacitating episodes, you can file for an increased rating. See the Rating Increase Guide.
Common Secondary Conditions
We found these are the conditions most often linked with a cervical spine condition in the Board's published decisions. Each bar is the BVA grant rate for DC 5237, with the number of decisions below it. They describe what the Board's record shows across many veterans, not a prediction about any one claim.
Conditions that can cause a cervical spine condition (a cervical spine condition as the secondary)
Claims where a cervical spine condition was argued as secondary to an already service-connected condition. This is the "ways to connect via another condition" list:
Conditions a cervical spine condition can cause (a cervical spine condition as the primary)
Conditions veterans have claimed as caused or aggravated by a service-connected cervical spine condition:
Quick Reference Tables
Neck Rating at a Glance
| Rating | Range-of-Motion Formula (DC 5237) | IVDS Alternative (DC 5243) |
|---|---|---|
| 100% | Not available for neck alone (requires unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine) | Not available |
| 60% | — | 6+ weeks of incapacitating episodes (physician-prescribed bed rest plus physician treatment) in 12 months |
| 40% | Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine | 4 to under 6 weeks |
| 30% | Forward flexion 15 degrees or less; or favorable ankylosis | — |
| 20% | Forward flexion 15 to 30 degrees; or combined ROM 170 or less; or abnormal gait/contour | 2 to under 4 weeks |
| 10% | Forward flexion 30 to 40 degrees; or combined ROM 170 to 335 degrees; or localized tenderness | 1 to under 2 weeks |
From Filing to Decision: Who Does What
| Role | Does | Decides your rating? |
|---|---|---|
| VSO / accredited representative | Helps prepare, gather evidence, and file; represents you on appeal | No |
| VSR | Develops the claim: orders records and the C&P exam | No |
| C&P Examiner | Conducts the exam, measures range of motion, completes the DBQ, may give a nexus opinion | No / but has a strong impact |
| Rater (RVSR) | Reviews the full file and decides service connection and percentage | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my exact neck diagnosis change the rating?
My flexion is almost normal but my neck is always tight and my posture is off. Any rating?
What is the highest neck-only rating?
I get shooting pain into my arm. Is that extra?
My flares put me in bed but I never got a prescription for bed rest. Does IVDS still help?
I won service connection for my low back. Does that cover my neck too?
I never got a formal nexus opinion for my arthritis. Am I out of luck?
Related Tools and Guides
Sources
- 38 CFR 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5237/5243, General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- 38 CFR 3.303, basic rules for service connection, direct
- 38 CFR 3.303(b), continuity of symptomatology for chronic diseases
- 38 CFR 3.307 and 3.309, presumptive and chronic diseases, including arthritis
- 38 CFR 3.310, secondary service connection
- 38 CFR 3.102 and 38 USC 5107(b), benefit of the doubt
- 38 CFR 3.6, active duty for training and line of duty
- 38 USC 1110 and 1131, basic service connection
- 38 CFR 3.400 and 38 USC 5110, effective dates
- 38 CFR 3.155, intent to file
- 38 CFR 3.156(d) and 3.2501, new and relevant evidence to reopen a claim
- 38 CFR 3.655, failure to report for a VA examination
- 38 CFR 3.105(e) and 3.344, rating reductions
- 38 CFR 4.40, 4.45, 4.59, functional loss and the painful-motion minimum rating
- CCK Law, neck pain ratings
- CCK Law, spine range of motion
Educational only, not legal advice, and not a prediction of any individual claim. Rating criteria change; confirm current details in 38 CFR 4.71a. For help with your claim, find a VA-accredited representative.