Spinal Stenosis VA Rating

Overview

Spinal stenosis is narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses nerves — common in lower back and neck.

Even though DC 5238 has its own code, all spine ratings (5235–5243) use the same General Rating Formula.

If intervertebral disc disease is also present, VA must rate under whichever formula (general spine or IVDS, DC 5243) yields the higher evaluation.

In Depth

Spinal stenosis is not assigned its own standalone percentage table. VA evaluates it under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine at 38 CFR § 4.71a, typically under DC 5238 (spinal stenosis), which routes to the same degree-based thresholds as strain, degenerative arthritis of the spine, and other spine codes.

Because stenosis frequently produces neurogenic claudication and radicular symptoms, Note (1) to the general formula is often central: objective neurologic abnormalities associated with the spine disability are evaluated separately under an appropriate diagnostic code rather than folded into the orthopedic percentage.

It is common for VA to recharacterize a claimed condition — for example, deciding a claim filed as 'spinal stenosis' under a degenerative disc disease or degenerative arthritis label. Because the spine codes share one rating formula, a different label does not by itself change the evaluation, and recharacterization alone is a routine part of how VA applies the rating schedule.

How to Establish Service Connection

• Direct: in-service back/neck injury or chronic complaints documented in STRs.
• Continuity of symptomatology since separation.
• Secondary: aggravated by service-connected musculoskeletal conditions (knee, hip, ankle altered gait).

Rating Criteria

Paraphrased from 38 CFR § 4.71a, Diagnostic Code 5238

See what each percentage pays in 2026 and how it combines with your current rating →

Evidence Checklist

• MRI or CT confirming canal narrowing.
• Goniometer-measured range of motion at C&P exam.
• Documented muscle spasm, guarding, or abnormal gait.
• Neurological exam noting any radicular symptoms (separately ratable).

Evidence Templates

Common formats of evidence the VA looks for in this type of claim. These describe what the documents typically include — they are not legal forms or medical opinions, and Oakridge Claims does not draft them.

Evidence VA Commonly Cites in These Claims

Descriptive summary of evidence types frequently referenced in rating decisions for this condition. Not a checklist of actions to take — every claim is decided on its own facts.

• ★Imaging that identifies the level and severity of canal or foraminal narrowing establishes the underlying pathology the diagnostic code is assigned for.
• ★Where the record shows lower-extremity symptoms, a nerve-specific finding supports the separate neurologic evaluation contemplated by Note (1).
• ★Measured flexion and combined range of motion in degrees are what the general formula's tiers are written in.
• ★If a physician has prescribed bed rest for disc-related episodes, those records are what the IVDS incapacitating-episode formula addresses.

Common pitfalls VA sees

• Treating VA's rename of the condition as an error in itself — the shared spine formula means the label rarely drives the percentage.
• Documenting only pain rather than measured motion, when the formula is expressed in degrees.
• Not identifying nerve involvement separately when lower-extremity symptoms are present.

Common Secondary Conditions

Conditions frequently service-connected as secondary to Spinal Stenosis:

What the C&P Exam Documents

General information about how this condition is typically evaluated. This is not coaching on what to say and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice.

• →Ask the examiner to perform repetitive-use testing — three repetitions — and document additional loss after use.
• →Report flare-ups specifically: frequency, duration, and how much further ROM is lost during a flare.

Frequently Asked Questions