Muscle injury, facial muscles (DC 5325)

Body system: Muscle InjuriesRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.73

Diagnostic Code 5325 covers injuries to the facial muscles. The VA does not assign a multi-tier rating under DC 5325 itself, instead it evaluates your facial muscle injury under another diagnostic code, typically DC 8207 (seventh cranial nerve neuropathy, for facial paralysis or weakness) or DC 7800 (disfiguring scars of the head, face, or neck). DC 5325 sets a 10% minimum: if your facial muscle injury interferes with chewing (mastication) to any extent, you get at least 10%, even if the other codes would otherwise rate lower.

Rating levels

  • -1% — Diagnostic Code 5325 does not have its own multi-tier rating ladder. Instead, the VA evaluates your facial muscle injury under whichever other code best captures the actual impact: DC 8207 (seventh cranial nerve, facial-nerve neuropathy) when the injury causes facial paralysis or weakness, or DC 7800 (disfiguring scars of the head, face, or neck) when the injury left visible scarring. The 10% minimum under DC 5325 applies on top of those evaluations if the facial muscle injury interferes with chewing.
  • 10% — You qualify for the 10% minimum rating under DC 5325 if your facial muscle injury interferes to any extent with mastication (chewing). This is a floor rating: even when the cranial-nerve (DC 8207) or scar (DC 7800) evaluations would otherwise yield less, this rule guarantees at least 10% as long as the chewing impact is documented.

Disclaimer: This tool is for informational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with your VSO representative or a qualified veterans benefits attorney for guidance on your specific claim.