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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.
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A rare condition where the body's immune system attacks the nerves, causing weakness and tingling that usually starts in the legs and spreads upward. The VA rates this based on the severity of residual symptoms after the initial illness.
The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.
Rated under 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8011 (poliomyelitis, anterior) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.
| 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. | You recovered from Guillain-Barré syndrome and examination finds no ascertainable residuals — no numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, full strength, and normal balance — so the minimum rating for residuals under the anterior poliomyelitis code this condition is rated by analogy to is not available. 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. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 10% | Poliomyelitis, anterior: Rate residuals, minimum: 10 percent. Note: It is required for the minimum ratings for residuals under diagnostic codes 8000-8025, that there be ascertainable residuals. | You have mild residuals from Guillain-Barré syndrome. You may have mild numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, slight weakness, or minor balance problems. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 30% | With the exceptions noted, disability from the following diseases and their residuals may be rated from 10 percent to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function. With partial loss of use of one or more extremities from neurological lesions, rate by comparison with the mild, moderate, severe, or complete paralysis of peripheral nerves. | You have moderate residuals. You have noticeable weakness in your arms or legs, moderate numbness, and difficulty with activities that require balance or coordination. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 60% | With the exceptions noted, disability from the following diseases and their residuals may be rated from 10 percent to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function. With partial loss of use of one or more extremities from neurological lesions, rate by comparison with the mild, moderate, severe, or complete paralysis of peripheral nerves. | You have severe residuals. You have significant weakness or paralysis in your arms or legs that limits your ability to walk, use your hands, or care for yourself. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 100% | Poliomyelitis, anterior: As active febrile disease: 100 percent. With the exceptions noted, disability from the following diseases and their residuals may be rated from 10 percent to 100 percent in proportion to the impairment of motor, sensory, or mental function. With partial loss of use of one or more extremities from neurological lesions, rate by comparison with the mild, moderate, severe, or complete paralysis of peripheral nerves. | You have total disability from Guillain-Barré syndrome. You may still have ascending paralysis requiring ventilation, be unable to walk or use your arms, or be totally incapacitated and dependent on others for all daily activities. |
What supports this level
| ||
The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.124a, DC 8011 (poliomyelitis, anterior) — rated by analogy under 38 CFR 4.20, 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.
Not documenting the initial hospitalization and ICU stay thoroughly — records showing the severity of the acute episode support the extent of nerve damage and residuals.
Not getting comprehensive EMG/nerve conduction studies — these objectively document residual nerve damage and are critical evidence for your rating.
Not filing for each residual condition separately — GBS can leave lasting weakness, numbness, pain, fatigue, and autonomic problems in multiple body systems that each deserve their own rating.
Not connecting GBS to an in-service trigger — vaccinations, infections, and surgeries during service can all trigger GBS. Document the timeline carefully.
Not documenting the fatigue and pain that often persist long after muscle strength improves — chronic fatigue and neuropathic pain are common GBS residuals that affect daily life and work.
These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.