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VA rating schedule, diagnostic code 5201
A shoulder condition is a musculoskeletal disability, and the VA rates it under its rating schedule for "The Shoulder and Arm" in 38 CFR 4.71a. One important detail is that the VA rates your dominant ("major") arm a little higher than your non-dominant ("minor") arm for the same problem. To be paid for it, the condition generally must be service-connected, meaning the VA ties it to your military service.
The most commonly used diagnostic code is 5201, "Arm, limitation of motion." Under 5201, the major arm is rated 20% when motion is limited at shoulder level (flexion/abduction to 90°), 30% when limited midway between the side and shoulder level (about 45°), and 40% when limited to 25° from the side; the minor arm is rated 20%, 20%, and 30% for those same levels. Higher ratings come from worse loss of motion or more serious damage shown under nearby codes: 5200 covers ankylosis (a frozen shoulder), 5202 covers humerus problems such as recurrent dislocation, malunion, nonunion (false flail joint), and loss of the head of the humerus (flail shoulder, up to 80% major), and 5203 covers clavicle or scapula impairment. A shoulder joint replacement is rated under code 5051, which carries a 100% rating for one year after surgery and a minimum rating afterward.
Most shoulder injuries are service-connected directly, by linking the current shoulder problem to an injury or strain during service. There is also a special pathway for arthritis: arthritis is listed as a "chronic disease" in 38 CFR 3.309(a), so under 38 CFR 3.307 it can be presumed related to service if it becomes at least 10% disabling within one year of separation, which can ease the need to prove a direct link. The toxic-exposure presumptive programs (Agent Orange, burn pits, and the PACT Act, or Camp Lejeune water) are built around illnesses like cancers and respiratory disease, not mechanical joint injuries, so they generally do not apply to a typical shoulder condition.
This is educational information about how the VA's rules generally work; it is not legal advice or a VA decision about your individual claim.
Grounded in federal regulations and VA guidance, independently reviewed June 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a VA determination.
Across 55,939 real Board appeals for Shoulder
A denial is often not the end either — remands (shown below) are sent back for more development and can still end in a grant. These are historical outcomes, not a prediction of your case.
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Among the appeals that were granted or partly granted, the most common ways Shoulder was linked to service:
In appeals where Shoulder was the only condition decided and the Board granted it, the rating most often assigned was:
These appeals involved a recognized exposure — which can mean the link to service is presumed, with no nexus to prove:
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and depressive disorder due to another medical condition, is granted as service-connected. The left shoulder and lower back conditions are remanded for further examination.
The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right leg disabilities have been withdrawn. The claims for left shoulder, low back, and left ankle disabilities are granted.,The Veteran's bilateral shoulder, low back, and left ankle conditions began during active duty training in July 2019.
The Veteran's left shoulder strain, including a labral tear status post-surgery, is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's bilateral corneal scars are granted as service-connected. The restoration of the 60% disability rating for dermatitis is also granted.
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder, right shin, and left shin disabilities manifested by pain causing impairment in earning capacity. The decision is based on the Veteran's testimony regarding his symptoms during service.
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.
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Veterans appealing Shoulder often look at outcomes for these too:
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