Neuralgia, median nerve — VA Diagnostic Code 8715

38 CFR § 4.124 says: “Neuralgia, cranial or peripheral, characterized usually by a dull and intermittent pain, of typical distribution so as to identify the nerve, is to be rated on the same scale, with a maximum equal to moderate incomplete paralysis. See nerve involved for diagnostic code number and rating. Tic douloureux, or trifacial neuralgia, may be rated up to complete paralysis of the affected nerve.” On the DC 8515 scale, moderate is 30 major and 20 minor. Severe is 50 and 40. Complete is 70 and 60. Those two lines are above the neuralgia maximum. The tic douloureux sentence is not the median nerve. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.31 says that 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. DC 8515’s lowest printed line is mild, 10 and 10.

38 CFR § 4.123 is the neuritis rule. Its maximum for neuritis characterized by the organic changes named in that section is severe, incomplete, paralysis. On this scale that is 50 major and 40 minor. Neuritis not characterized by those organic changes is capped at moderate, 30 and 20. The sciatic clause is not this nerve. DC 8615 is neuritis of the median nerve. DC 8515 is the paralysis row. The public page for that code is the carpal-tunnel guide.

38 CFR § 4.69 says handedness for the purpose of a dominant rating will be determined by the evidence of record, or by testing on VA examination. Only one hand shall be considered dominant. The injured hand, or the most severely injured hand, of an ambidextrous individual will be considered the dominant hand for rating purposes. That section does not use the words “Major” and “Minor.” 38 CFR § 4.26 is the bilateral factor. A note printed before “The median nerve” says lesions involving only “dissociation of extensor communis digitorum” and “paralysis below the extensor communis digitorum” will not exceed the moderate rating under code 8514. That note names code 8514. It does not name DC 8715 or DC 8515.

DC 8516 is the ulnar nerve. Its complete cell names the “griffin claw” deformity. That sentence is not the median-nerve cell. Appendix B indexes DC 8515 as “Median nerve, paralysis.” It indexes DC 8715 as “Neuralgia, median nerve.”

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “median nerve.” Section 3.309(a) lists “Other organic diseases of the nervous system.” That family name is not assigned to DC 8715. A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.124a and 38 CFR § 4.124, Diagnostic Code 8715, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01. The § 4.69 source note prints 62 FR 30239, June 3, 1997.