YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Plantar Fasciitis VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Plantar Fasciitis under diagnostic code 5269, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 20% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Prepare for your examTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band running from the heel to the toes, producing the classic sharp heel pain on the first steps of the morning. Since February 7, 2021 it has had its own diagnostic code — DC 5269 — instead of being rated by analogy to tenosynovitis, and the percentage turns on whether one foot or both are affected and on whether treatment has failed.
DC 5269 is a code VA created on February 7, 2021; before that date plantar fasciitis had no code of its own and was rated by analogy, most often under DC 5024 (tenosynovitis) or DC 5276 (acquired flatfoot). The current criteria have only three rungs and two variables. 30 percent: "No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, bilateral." 20 percent: "No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, unilateral." 10 percent: "Otherwise, unilateral or bilateral" — so a diagnosed, service-connected plantar fasciitis that has not exhausted treatment is a flat 10 percent whether it affects one foot or both, and bilateral involvement alone does not lift it. Note (2) supplies the one route to a compensable step above 10 without having had surgery: "If a veteran has been recommended for surgical intervention, but is not a surgical candidate, evaluate under the 20 percent or 30 percent criteria, whichever is applicable." Note (1) sets a ceiling case: "With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent." Because the ladder turns on documented treatment failure rather than on range of motion, the decisive evidence is the treatment record — orthotics, night splints, stretching, physical therapy, corticosteroid injection, extracorporeal shockwave therapy and any fascia release — and whether each one relieved the pain. Note also that the bilateral factor of 38 CFR 4.26 applies where both feet are separately compensable.
- Diagnostic code
- 5269
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 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
Plantar Fasciitis VA rating criteria (DC 5269)
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 Plantar Fasciitis
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 (1): With actual loss of use of the foot, rate 40 percent”DC 5269
- “Note (2): If a veteran has been recommended for surgical intervention, but is not a surgical candidate, evaluate under the 20 percent or 30 percent criteria, whichever is applicable”DC 5269
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Plantar Fasciitis 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 Plantar Fasciitis
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 foot pain when you first get out of bed in the morning.
Assessing classic plantar fasciitis morning pain pattern which is diagnostic and affects severity rating.
- Describe the exact location and quality of morning pain
- Time how long it takes for pain to subside after getting up
- Mention if you have to sit back down or move very slowly
- Note if you keep shoes by your bed to put on immediately
- Not emphasizing the classic morning pain pattern
- Failing to describe the severity and duration of morning symptoms
- Not mentioning accommodations you make for morning pain
Daily functionHow does your foot pain affect your ability to walk, stand, or exercise?
Assessing functional limitations and pain impact on mobility and daily activities.
- Describe specific distances you can walk before pain becomes severe
- Mention if you need special shoes, orthotics, or supportive devices
- Describe pain levels throughout the day and after activity
- Be specific about how it affects work duties or exercise
- Not mentioning morning pain when first getting out of bed
- Forgetting to describe impact on work performance
- Not bringing documentation of treatments tried
TreatmentWhat treatments have you tried for plantar fasciitis and how effective were they?
Evaluating treatment history and response to assess condition severity and disability level.
- List all treatments: physical therapy, injections, surgery, orthotics
- Describe how long each treatment provided relief
- Mention current treatment regimen and its effectiveness
- Note any side effects or complications from treatments
- Not mentioning all treatments attempted including those that didn't work
- Failing to describe why treatments were discontinued
- Not bringing documentation of treatments and their outcomes
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Plantar Fasciitis?
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 Plantar Fasciitis 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 5269 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 Plantar Fasciitis 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
Submit podiatry notes that specifically show your response to orthotic treatment, since whether orthotics help or don't help is what separates the two rating tiers.
- 02
Describe how the condition limits daily activity, standing, or walking, since functional impact adds important context to the clinical diagnosis.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
No documentation of pain severity in the record.
- 02
No trial of orthotics noted, which is directly relevant to which rating tier applies.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Omitting orthotic or physical therapy attempts from your evidence, since treatment response is a specific rating factor for this code.
- 02
Not linking the foot pain to specific service duties (like prolonged standing, marching, or running) that could explain its onset.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Plantar fasciitis classically starts as heel pain that's worse in the morning or after standing, improves somewhat with rest, and then worsens again with activity.
SECONDARY TO SOMETHING ELSE
Conditions that can lead to Plantar Fasciitis
Each links to a page on claiming Plantar Fasciitis as secondary to that condition.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Plantar Fasciitis by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High – if consistent pain and orthotic treatment are documented.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~10,800 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~10%
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 Plantar Fasciitis
Is Plantar Fasciitis a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Plantar Fasciitis under VASRD diagnostic code 5269 (Musculoskeletal System). Plantar fasciitis is inflammation and degeneration of the plantar fascia, the thick band running from the heel to the toes, producing the classic sharp heel pain on the first steps of the morning. Since February 7, 2021 it has had its own diagnostic code — DC 5269 — instead of being rated by analogy to tenosynovitis, and the percentage turns on whether one foot or both are affected and on whether treatment has failed.
What VA disability rating can I get for Plantar Fasciitis?
Possible VA ratings for Plantar Fasciitis are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: "No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, bilateral." Note (2): "If a veteran has been recommended for surgical intervention, but is not a surgical candidate, evaluate under the 20 percent or 30 percent criteria, whichever is applicable."; 20%: "No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, unilateral." Note (2): "If a veteran has been recommended for surgical intervention, but is not a surgical candidate, evaluate under the 20 percent or 30 percent criteria, whichever is applicable."; 10%: "Otherwise, unilateral or bilateral." This is the level for every case that does not meet the treatment-failure criteria above, whether one foot or both.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Plantar Fasciitis?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Plantar Fasciitis at around 10%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 10,800 veterans are service-connected for Plantar Fasciitis. Estimated approval outlook: High – if consistent pain and orthotic treatment are documented.
What evidence helps prove Plantar Fasciitis for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Plantar Fasciitis claim includes: A treatment record that names every non-surgical measure tried — orthotics, night splint, stretching programme, physical therapy, injections — and states in each case whether it gave relief, because the 20 and 30 percent criteria are written as treatment failure, not as severity; Operative reports for any plantar fascia release or other surgery, and the post-operative outcome, since both non-surgical AND surgical treatment must have failed for the 20 or 30 percent level; Where surgery was recommended but declined by the surgeon, a note saying the veteran is not a surgical candidate — Note (2) makes that the equivalent of surgical failure; Documentation of whether one foot or both are involved, which is the only difference between the 20 and 30 percent criteria.
Which DBQ is used for Plantar Fasciitis?
VA's Foot Conditions Including Flatfoot (Pes Planus) 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 Plantar Fasciitis?
Common pitfalls when filing for Plantar Fasciitis: Omitting orthotic or physical therapy attempts from your evidence, since treatment response is a specific rating factor for this code; Not linking the foot pain to specific service duties (like prolonged standing, marching, or running) that could explain its onset.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5269)
- 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.
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