When is your exam?

Set the date and this page becomes a plan — the preparation steps get paced across the days you have left. It stays in this browser; no account, nothing sent anywhere.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

A chronic pain condition usually affecting an arm or leg after an injury, causing severe pain, swelling, and changes in skin color and temperature. The VA rates CRPS by analogy to peripheral nerve conditions based on the severity of pain and functional impairment.

Code: 8599-8520
Criteria: 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8520 (sciatic nerve) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20; the schedule lists no CRPS code
Exam length: ~30-60 minutes
Form: Peripheral Nerves DBQ

Rating steps

The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.

What happens at the appointment

The examiner will evaluate the affected limb for the hallmark signs of CRPS: disproportionate pain, skin color changes, temperature asymmetry, swelling, sweating abnormalities, and trophic changes (skin, hair, nail changes).
You will be asked about the initiating injury or event that triggered CRPS and the timeline of symptom development.
The examiner will compare the affected limb to the unaffected side, measuring temperature differences, skin color, and checking for allodynia (pain from normally painless touch).
Range of motion and grip strength or weight-bearing ability will be tested in the affected limb, comparing to the unaffected side.
You will be asked about functional limitations: whether you can bear weight, use your hand, wear clothing over the area, or tolerate temperature changes.

What the examiner is actually filling in

01Whether the clinical presentation meets the Budapest diagnostic criteria for CRPS Type I (without nerve injury) or Type II (with documented nerve injury).
02Objective signs on examination: temperature asymmetry, edema, skin color changes, sudomotor changes, trophic changes, allodynia, and hyperalgesia.
03Range of motion and strength deficits in the affected limb compared to the unaffected side.
04The nerve(s) most closely associated with the CRPS distribution — VA rates CRPS under the analogous peripheral nerve paralysis code (e.g., DC 8515 for median nerve, DC 8520 for sciatic).
05Overall severity rated as mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe incomplete paralysis of the analogous nerve.

Rated under 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8520 (sciatic nerve) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20; the schedule lists no CRPS code. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.

A complete answer sounds like

VA rates CRPS under the peripheral nerve code that best matches the affected distribution. For a hand/wrist, it may be rated under the median nerve (DC 8515). For a foot/leg, the sciatic nerve (DC 8520). Make sure the examiner identifies the analogous nerve.
Describe pain in functional terms: "I cannot put a sock on my left foot because even the fabric causes burning pain" or "I cannot grip anything with my right hand because the pressure triggers an hour-long flare."
Report all Budapest criteria signs you experience: burning pain from light touch (sensory), skin color changes (vasomotor), swelling and sweating changes (sudomotor/edema), and weakness and trophic changes (motor/trophic).
If CRPS has caused muscle wasting or bone loss (osteopenia) in the affected limb, bring DEXA scan or imaging results. Disuse atrophy supports a higher severity rating.
Mention the impact on sleep. CRPS pain is often constant and worsens at night — describe how many hours you sleep and how pain disrupts rest.

What costs veterans points

Not getting the diagnosis officially confirmed using the Budapest criteria. CRPS is often misdiagnosed or dismissed — a pain specialist or neurologist familiar with CRPS should provide the diagnosis.
Failing to describe allodynia clearly. If the lightest touch — a bedsheet, clothing, or a breeze — causes severe burning pain, tell the examiner in those specific terms.
Not reporting the spreading of symptoms. CRPS can spread from one limb to another or from a hand to the entire arm — document the progression.
Allowing the examiner to manipulate the affected limb aggressively without warning them about the severity of your pain. Advocate for yourself during the exam.
Not connecting CRPS to the original service-connected injury. CRPS is a secondary condition — make sure the medical record establishes the causal link to the triggering event.

The rating criteria, in plain language

Rating levels for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) under 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8520 (sciatic nerve) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20; the schedule lists no CRPS code
Rating	Rating criteria	What that means for you
0%	In every instance where the schedule does not provide a zero percent evaluation for a diagnostic code, a zero percent evaluation shall be assigned when the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.	Your CRPS is service connected, but examination finds no pain, swelling, skin color change or temperature asymmetry in the affected limb and no sensory or motor deficit, so there is no mild incomplete paralysis to rate on the sciatic nerve scale this condition is rated by analogy to. This code prints no 0% rung of its own; § 4.31 supplies it: no monthly payment, but the condition is on record and a later increase runs from it. The lowest compensable level under this code is 10 percent.
0%	What supports this level No swelling, skin color change, or temperature asymmetry in the affected limb No allodynia or hyperalgesia on examination Full range of motion and strength in the affected limb No medication required for pain control A dated record of the condition so that a later increase claim has a starting point
10%	Mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve: 10 percent. … When the involvement is wholly sensory, the rating should be for the mild, or at most, the moderate degree.	Mild CRPS. You have pain, mild swelling, and sensitivity in the affected limb with minor functional limitations.
10%	What supports this level Confirmed CRPS diagnosis using Budapest criteria Pain and mild swelling in affected limb Mild skin color or temperature changes Minor functional limitations documented
20%	Moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve: 20 percent.	Moderate CRPS. You have constant pain, temperature changes in the affected limb, and limited range of motion.
20%	What supports this level Constant pain in affected limb Documented skin temperature changes Limited range of motion on examination Multiple pain management treatments Functional limitations affecting daily activities
40%	Moderately severe incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve: 40 percent.	Moderately severe CRPS. You have severe pain, significant muscle atrophy, and major functional limitations in the affected limb.
40%	What supports this level Severe pain requiring strong medication Significant muscle atrophy documented Major functional limitations in affected limb Bone density loss on imaging (osteoporosis) Pain management specialist treatment records
60%	Severe incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve, with marked muscular atrophy: 60 percent.	Severe CRPS. You have incapacitating pain, significant atrophy and contractures, and marked disability in the affected limb.
60%	What supports this level Incapacitating pain documented by specialists Significant muscle atrophy and contractures Marked disability with severe functional loss Multiple failed treatment attempts documented Inability to use affected limb for most activities
80%	Complete paralysis of the sciatic nerve; the foot dangles and drops, no active movement possible of muscles below the knee, flexion of knee weakened or (very rarely) lost: 80 percent.	Complete paralysis of the nerve. DC 8520 prints this top rung for the sciatic nerve: the foot dangles and drops, no active movement is possible in the muscles below the knee, and knee flexion is weakened or lost. CRPS reaches it only where the limb has become functionally paralysed — severe dystonia, fixed contracture, or an examiner’s loss-of-use finding.
80%	What supports this level Foot drop with no active movement of the muscles below the knee on examination Fixed dystonic posturing or contracture of the affected limb documented Loss-of-use determination by the examiner EMG/NCS or examiner findings documenting the extent of motor loss Special monthly compensation for loss of use of a foot considered under 38 CFR 3.350

The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8520 (sciatic nerve) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20; the schedule lists no CRPS code, condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.

Mistakes we see most often

CRPS does not have its own diagnostic code — it is rated by analogy, which means the VA must choose the most closely analogous code. Make sure the examiner documents this clearly.

Not having a pain management specialist confirm the diagnosis using the Budapest criteria.

Not documenting the triggering injury and its connection to service — CRPS typically develops after an injury, surgery, or other trauma.

Not requesting bilateral ratings if CRPS has spread to multiple limbs (mirror-image CRPS).

Before & after your exam

These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.

Do not miss the appointment: Missing your C&P exam without a good reason can cost you. Under 38 CFR § 3.655, a missed exam can cause a claim for an increased rating or a reopened claim to be denied, and can cause an original claim to be decided on the evidence already in your file. If you cannot make it, call the VA or the exam company right away to reschedule — a documented good reason (illness, work conflict, no transportation, a family emergency) protects your claim.
Your examiner may be a contractor: Many C&P exams are performed by VA-contracted companies — QTC, Optum Serve (LHI), VES, or MSLA — not at a VA hospital. They will call, text, or mail you to schedule. Do not ignore an unknown number or letter while your claim is pending, and confirm the exam location and time before you go.
The examiner does not decide your claim: The examiner's job is to record findings on the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ). A rating specialist at the Regional Office makes the actual decision, using the exam together with your full record — service records, medical records, and lay statements. One appointment does not settle everything.
Get a copy of your exam report: After the exam you can request the report (often called the DBQ or C&P exam results) through VA.gov, the Blue Button tool, or your accredited representative. Reading it lets you catch errors while you still have time to respond.
If the exam was inadequate, you have options: If the examiner rushed you, evaluated the wrong condition, or the report is inaccurate, you can submit a statement and new evidence, and — after a decision — request a review (a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review). A single bad exam is not the end of your claim.

View condition guide →View evidence checklist →

Folder readiness

Tick these off as you gather them. Nothing here is required — the exam happens either way — but each one is something the examiner cannot record if it is not in front of them.

Saved in this browser only.

Take it with you

Print the whole guide — what the examiner records, the folder list with your ticks, the criteria table and the mistakes to avoid — and bring it to the appointment.

Free tool · 282 guides · DBQ-aligned

C&P Exam Preparation Guides

The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.

Source forms
Coverage

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Rating steps

What happens at the appointment

What the examiner is actually filling in

A complete answer sounds like

What costs veterans points

The rating criteria, in plain language

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

What supports this level

Mistakes we see most often

Before & after your exam