YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Sacroiliitis and Sacroiliac Injury VA Disability Rating
The VA rates Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness under diagnostic code 5236, in 38 CFR § 4.71a (musculoskeletal system), and the schedule provides six evaluation levels for it: 100%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness
The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis, and injury, inflammation or weakness there causes chronic lower back, buttock and hip pain, especially with lifting, twisting or prolonged standing. Sacroiliitis, SI joint dysfunction and sacroiliac strain all describe problems with these joints, and 38 CFR Part 4 names none of them: DC 5236, sacroiliac injury and weakness, is the code that covers the joint. In service it is commonly linked to lifting injuries, falls, or repetitive strain from carrying gear.
Rated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine (38 CFR 4.71a) - the same forward-flexion, combined-range-of-motion, muscle-spasm and ankylosis criteria that govern every diagnostic code from 5235 to 5243. That matters more than which name your diagnosis carries: the schedule does not list sacroiliitis, SI joint dysfunction or sacroiliac strain as separate codes, so all of them reach the same formula through DC 5236, and the percentage comes from measured thoracolumbar findings rather than from the diagnosis. Imaging of the sacroiliac joint and provocative testing (FABER, Gaenslen) support the diagnosis, but the measurements recorded at the exam produce the evaluation. Any associated objective neurologic abnormality - including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment - is evaluated separately under an appropriate diagnostic code rather than raising the spine percentage.
- Diagnostic code
- 5236
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.71a
- Schedule levels
- 100%, 50%, 40%, 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
Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness VA rating criteria (DC 5236)
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 Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness
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): Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (2): (See also Plate V.) For VA compensation purposes, normal forward flexion of the cervical spine is zero to 45 degrees, extension is zero to 45 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 45 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 80 degrees. Normal forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine is zero to 90 degrees, extension is zero to 30 degrees, left and right lateral flexion are zero to 30 degrees, and left and right lateral rotation are zero to 30 degrees. The combined range of motion refers to the sum of the range of forward flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. The normal combined range of motion of the cervical spine is 340 degrees and of the thoracolumbar spine is 240 degrees. The normal ranges of motion for each component of spinal motion provided in this note are the maximum that can be used for calculation of the combined range of motion.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (3): In exceptional cases, an examiner may state that because of age, body habitus, neurologic disease, or other factors not the result of disease or injury of the spine, the range of motion of the spine in a particular individual should be considered normal for that individual, even though it does not conform to the normal range of motion stated in Note (2). Provided that the examiner supplies an explanation, the examiner's assessment that the range of motion is normal for that individual will be accepted.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (4): Round each range of motion measurement to the nearest five degrees.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (5): For VA compensation purposes, unfavorable ankylosis is a condition in which the entire cervical spine, the entire thoracolumbar spine, or the entire spine is fixed in flexion or extension, and the ankylosis results in one or more of the following: difficulty walking because of a limited line of vision; restricted opening of the mouth and chewing; breathing limited to diaphragmatic respiration; gastrointestinal symptoms due to pressure of the costal margin on the abdomen; dyspnea or dysphagia; atlantoaxial or cervical subluxation or dislocation; or neurologic symptoms due to nerve root stretching. Fixation of a spinal segment in neutral position (zero degrees) always represents favorable ankylosis.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
- “Note (6): Separately evaluate disability of the thoracolumbar and cervical spine segments, except when there is unfavorable ankylosis of both segments, which will be rated as a single disability.”General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness 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.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
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 Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness 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 5236 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 Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness 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 claim6 tips
- 01
Ask for the thoracolumbar range of motion to be measured and written down in degrees. That measurement, not the sacroiliitis diagnosis, is what the General Rating Formula turns into a percentage.
- 02
Get SI-specific imaging and provocative testing (FABER, Gaenslen, compression) on the record. It will not move the percentage by itself, but it is what ties the measured back findings to the sacroiliac joint rather than to something else.
- 03
Get a gait analysis performed - an altered walking pattern is objective evidence, and muscle spasm or guarding severe enough to produce an abnormal gait is written into the 20 percent criterion by name.
- 04
Keep a pain diary or wearable activity record documenting flare-up frequency and severity, since consistency of symptoms over time strengthens the claim.
- 05
Explicitly connect the condition to an in-service lifting incident, fall, or repetitive strain from carrying gear, since establishing that causal link is what service connection turns on.
- 06
Claim any radiating leg symptoms separately. The formula's own note evaluates objective neurologic abnormalities under their own codes rather than raising the spine percentage.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind5 tips
- 01
No documented range-of-motion measurement, which is what this condition is actually rated on.
- 02
Range of motion taken at the pelvis rather than the thoracolumbar spine, which leaves the formula with nothing to read.
- 03
No SI-specific maneuvers performed, so the examination cannot tie the findings to the sacroiliac joint.
- 04
Subjective pain recorded without clinical correlation or measurement.
- 05
The condition attributed to normal aging rather than a service-related injury, which weakens service connection even where the impairment is genuine.
Common filing mistakes5 tips
- 01
Claiming general back pain rather than the sacroiliac joint, when the evidence supports the specific joint.
- 02
Assuming a sacroiliitis or SI joint dysfunction diagnosis needs its own diagnostic code. Part 4 has none, and DC 5236 is where the joint is rated.
- 03
Leaving out radiating leg symptoms, which can be a separately ratable neurologic abnormality.
- 04
Not linking the condition to a specific in-service lifting incident or repetitive strain.
- 05
No SI joint imaging or physical examination documentation in the file.
When symptoms may first appear4 tips
- 01
Sacroiliac problems commonly stem from a specific in-service lifting injury or fall, or from chronic strain caused by carrying heavy gear over time.
- 02
Poor posture or repetitive strain during physically demanding duties can gradually weaken or inflame the joint without one single injury event.
- 03
Symptoms often follow uneven weight-bearing and flare with prolonged standing, walking or stair climbing.
- 04
Sacroiliitis can also appear as part of a wider inflammatory disease. Where that disease is ankylosing spondylitis, the rating decision may cite DC 5240 instead, which is evaluated under the same spine formula.
LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE
Nerve symptoms are rated separately from the spine
Evaluate any associated objective neurologic abnormalities, including, but not limited to, bowel or bladder impairment, separately, under an appropriate diagnostic code.
So pain, numbness or weakness travelling down a limb is not what raises a Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness evaluation. It is claimed on its own and evaluated under the peripheral-nerve schedule in 38 CFR § 4.124a, then combined with the spine evaluation under 38 CFR § 4.25.
Which nerve code applies is decided by the nerve the evidence identifies, not by where the pain is felt. There is no diagnostic code named radiculopathy, and none named sciatica: both are descriptions of what a nerve is doing, and the schedule rates the nerve.
Two ceilings are worth knowing before claiming one. Under 38 CFR § 4.123, neuritis characterized by loss of reflexes, muscle atrophy, sensory disturbances and constant pain is rated on the scale for the nerve involved up to a maximum equal to severe incomplete paralysis; without those organic changes the maximum is moderate, or moderately severe where the sciatic nerve is involved. Under 38 CFR § 4.124, neuralgia, usually a dull and intermittent pain of typical distribution, is capped at moderate incomplete paralysis.
- DC 8520
Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve
Claimed for the low back and leg
- DC 8620
Sciatic Nerve, Neuritis
Claimed for the low back and leg
- DC 8510
Upper Radicular Group (Nerve Damage)
Claimed for the neck, shoulder and arm
- DC 8511
Middle Radicular Group (Nerve Damage)
Claimed for the neck and arm
THE BROADER PICTURE
Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High – commonly granted with back injuries or chronic pain cases.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~95,000 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 Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness
Is Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness under VASRD diagnostic code 5236 (Musculoskeletal System). The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis, and injury, inflammation or weakness there causes chronic lower back, buttock and hip pain, especially with lifting, twisting or prolonged standing. Sacroiliitis, SI joint dysfunction and sacroiliac strain all describe problems with these joints, and 38 CFR Part 4 names none of them: DC 5236, sacroiliac injury and weakness, is the code that covers the joint. In service it is commonly linked to lifting injuries, falls, or repetitive strain from carrying gear.
What VA disability rating can I get for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
Possible VA ratings for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness are 100%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 100%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire spine; 50%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine; 40%: Unfavorable ankylosis of the entire cervical spine; or forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine 30 degrees or less; or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 95,000 veterans are service-connected for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness. Estimated approval outlook: High – commonly granted with back injuries or chronic pain cases.
What evidence helps prove Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness claim includes: A range-of-motion examination recording thoracolumbar forward flexion and combined range of motion in degrees - the measurements the General Rating Formula reads; X-rays or MRI showing damage, degeneration or inflammatory change in the sacroiliac joint; An orthopedic or VA examination with positive SI-specific maneuvers (FABER, Gaenslen, compression) documented by name; Physical therapy notes tracking treatment and functional progress over time.
Which DBQ is used for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
VA's Back (Thoracolumbar Spine) 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 Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
Common pitfalls when filing for Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness: Claiming general back pain rather than the sacroiliac joint, when the evidence supports the specific joint; Assuming a sacroiliitis or SI joint dysfunction diagnosis needs its own diagnostic code. Part 4 has none, and DC 5236 is where the joint is rated; Leaving out radiating leg symptoms, which can be a separately ratable neurologic abnormality; Not linking the condition to a specific in-service lifting incident or repetitive strain.
What conditions can be secondary to Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Sacroiliac Injury and Weakness, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression; Hip Bursitis. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
What VA diagnostic code covers sacroiliitis?
There isn't one with that name. The words sacroiliitis, SI joint dysfunction and sacroiliac strain do not appear anywhere in 38 CFR Part 4. The sacroiliac joint's code is DC 5236, "Sacroiliac injury and weakness", and it is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine - the same criteria as every code from 5235 to 5243. So the diagnosis on your record decides very little here: the percentage comes from measured thoracolumbar forward flexion, combined range of motion, muscle spasm or guarding, and ankylosis. Where the sacroiliitis is part of ankylosing spondylitis, a rating decision may cite DC 5240 instead, which is on the same formula and produces the same tiers.
My exam says SI joint dysfunction. Does that change my rating?
Not by itself. SI joint dysfunction, sacroiliitis and sacroiliac injury all reach the General Rating Formula through DC 5236, and the formula reads measurements rather than diagnoses. What the SI-specific findings do is connect those measurements to the right joint: provocative testing such as FABER, Gaenslen and compression, plus imaging of the sacroiliac joint, is what shows the limitation belongs to the SI joint rather than to something else in the back. Two things to ask for at the examination: thoracolumbar range of motion recorded in degrees, and whether muscle spasm or guarding is severe enough to produce an abnormal gait or abnormal spinal contour, which the 20 percent criterion names outright.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.71a, Schedule of ratings, musculoskeletal system (Diagnostic Code 5236)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.123, neuritis, cranial or peripheral
- 38 CFR § 4.124, neuralgia, cranial or peripheral
- 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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