YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Fibromyalgia VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Fibromyalgia under diagnostic code 5025, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 40%, 20% and 10%.
Free · No account needed
Save your Fibromyalgia guide
Email yourself this Fibromyalgia guide so the rating criteria, evidence checklist, and preparation tips are easy to find later.
A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Prepare for your examTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition marked by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, usually with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, stiffness and cognitive fog. VA rates it under DC 5025, and the percentage turns on how much of the time the pain is present and whether medication or therapy controls it — not on how many joints are involved.
DC 5025 covers "Fibromyalgia (fibrositis, primary fibromyalgia syndrome)". All three evaluations share one qualifying picture: "With widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with or without associated fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, or Raynaud's-like symptoms." The percentages then separate on frequency and response to treatment: 40 percent where the symptoms "are constant, or nearly so, and refractory to therapy"; 20 percent where they "are episodic, with exacerbations often precipitated by environmental or emotional stress or by overexertion, but ... are present more than one-third of the time"; 10 percent where they "require continuous medication for control." The code's Note defines the threshold term: "Widespread pain means pain in both the left and right sides of the body, that is both above and below the waist, and that affects both the axial skeleton (i.e., cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine, or low back) and the extremities." Pain confined to one region therefore does not qualify under DC 5025 however severe it is; it is rated under the code for that region. Note that this is not an arthritis code — degenerative arthritis of multiple joints is DC 5003, and inflammatory multi-joint arthritis as an active process is DC 5002.
- Diagnostic code
- 5025
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 40%, 20% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Fibromyalgia VA rating criteria (DC 5025)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Fibromyalgia
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note: Widespread pain means pain in both the left and right sides of the body, that is both above and below the waist, and that affects both the axial skeleton ( i.e. , cervical spine, anterior chest, thoracic spine, or low back) and the extremities.”DC 5025
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Fibromyalgia claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
A LITTLE PREPARATION HELPS
What the C&P examiner will ask about Fibromyalgia
Think through your own experience before exam day. Open a question to see what the examiner is assessing and which details are useful to describe accurately.
SeverityDescribe your chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and how it affects your daily functioning
Assessing fibromyalgia pain patterns, fatigue levels, and functional limitations.
- Map out all areas of chronic pain on your body
- Track fatigue levels and sleep quality for several weeks
- Describe 'fibro fog' - cognitive difficulties with memory and concentration
- Mention specific activities that trigger pain flares
- Not describing the widespread nature of pain (must affect multiple body areas)
- Forgetting to mention cognitive symptoms and sleep disturbances
- Not explaining how pain interferes with work and daily activities
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Fibromyalgia?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
THE EVERYDAY PICTURE
What the Fibromyalgia examination has to record
The criteria above are read off an examination, and three sections of Part 4 govern what that examination has to contain. None of them is a diagnostic code, so none of them appears in the 5025 table, and all three apply to it. 38 CFR § 4.40: “Weakness is as important as limitation of motion, and a part which becomes painful on use must be regarded as seriously disabled.”
38 CFR § 4.45 lists what an examination of a joint is directed to consider:
- Less movement than normal (due to ankylosis, limitation or blocking, adhesions, tendon-tie-up, contracted scars, etc.).
- More movement than normal (from flail joint, resections, nonunion of fracture, relaxation of ligaments, etc.).
- Weakened movement (due to muscle injury, disease or injury of peripheral nerves, divided or lengthened tendons, etc.).
- Excess fatigability.
- Incoordination, impaired ability to execute skilled movements smoothly.
- Pain on movement, swelling, deformity or atrophy of disuse.
38 CFR § 4.59: “It is the intention to recognize actually painful, unstable, or malaligned joints, due to healed injury, as entitled to at least the minimum compensable rating for the joint.” So a joint that is painful on use is not a finding of nothing, even where the measured motion is close to normal.
The same section says how the joint is to be tested: “The joints involved should be tested for pain on both active and passive motion, in weight-bearing and nonweight-bearing and, if possible, with the range of the opposite undamaged joint.” An examination that records one measurement, taken once, sitting down, has not done what the section asks, and that is worth reading the exam report for.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Fibromyalgia claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim2 tips
- 01
Keep detailed pain logs and a treatment history, since without a single confirming test, a consistent, well-documented pattern over time is what substantiates this diagnosis.
- 02
Get labs and imaging done to rule out other causes, since part of this diagnosis is specifically excluding conditions that would explain the pain differently.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
No exclusion of other disorders in the record, since ruling out alternative explanations is part of establishing this specific diagnosis.
- 02
Lack of documentation showing how the condition has responded, or not responded, to treatment.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Only listing pain without showing the pattern (frequency, distribution, constancy) that this diagnosis depends on.
- 02
No history of medication or therapy use included, which is directly tied to the rating tiers.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
This condition typically develops gradually, with daily pain flares that can be triggered or worsened by physical or emotional stress.
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Fibromyalgia
Each links to a page on claiming Fibromyalgia as secondary to that condition.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Fibromyalgia by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate – requires detailed symptom tracking and treatment history.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~8,300 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Fibromyalgia
Is Fibromyalgia a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Fibromyalgia under VASRD diagnostic code 5025 (Musculoskeletal System). Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain condition marked by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, usually with fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, stiffness and cognitive fog. VA rates it under DC 5025, and the percentage turns on how much of the time the pain is present and whether medication or therapy controls it — not on how many joints are involved.
What VA disability rating can I get for Fibromyalgia?
Possible VA ratings for Fibromyalgia are 40%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 40%: With widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with or without associated fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, or Raynaud's-like symptoms: that are constant, or nearly so, and refractory to therapy; 20%: With widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with or without associated fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, or Raynaud's-like symptoms: that are episodic, with exacerbations often precipitated by environmental or emotional stress or by overexertion, but that are present more than one-third of the time; 10%: With widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with or without associated fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, or Raynaud's-like symptoms: that require continuous medication for control.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Fibromyalgia?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Fibromyalgia at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 8,300 veterans are service-connected for Fibromyalgia. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate – requires detailed symptom tracking and treatment history.
What evidence helps prove Fibromyalgia for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Fibromyalgia claim includes: A rheumatologist's or primary care provider's diagnosis; Documentation of tender points identified during a physical exam; A symptom journal or pain log showing the pattern and frequency of flares over time.
Which DBQ is used for Fibromyalgia?
VA's Fibromyalgia Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Fibromyalgia?
Common pitfalls when filing for Fibromyalgia: Only listing pain without showing the pattern (frequency, distribution, constancy) that this diagnosis depends on; No history of medication or therapy use included, which is directly tied to the rating tiers.
What conditions can be secondary to Fibromyalgia?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Fibromyalgia, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5025)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.40, functional loss
- 38 CFR § 4.45, the joints
- 38 CFR § 4.59, painful motion
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
VA Calc: Disability Pay
Combine your ratings & see monthly pay on your iPhone · Works offline