The neck takes abuse in service from heavy loads, helmets and gear, deployments, and years of physical strain. Cervical strain, the medical term for many neck conditions, is a common VA claim. This guide covers how it is rated and what a nexus letter needs.
How the VA rates the neck
Cervical strain is rated under diagnostic code 5237, using the General Rating Formula for the spine, the same formula family used for the lower back. The rating is based mainly on your cervical range of motion, specifically combined range of motion and forward flexion of the neck, plus factors like muscle spasm, guarding, and abnormal gait or posture.
Because the rating turns on measured motion, documentation from your provider matters.
What to document
- Range-of-motion measurements for the neck in each direction
- Painful motion. Under the painful-motion principle, pain on movement can support at least the minimum compensable rating.
- Flare-ups: how often, how long, and what they prevent you from doing
- Any radiating symptoms into the shoulders or arms, which may be a separate radiculopathy claim
Connecting neck pain to service
If your records show the injury or ongoing complaints, the link may be direct. When they do not, a nexus letter:
- Reviews your service records and the duties or injury that strained the neck
- Explains the medical mechanism connecting them to your current condition
- States the opinion in VA terms ("at least as likely as not")
Neck conditions often bring secondaries
A cervical condition can radiate into the arms (radiculopathy) and is sometimes linked to headaches. Those may be separate, ratable secondary claims worth exploring with a provider.
A real-world example
A veteran carried heavy comms gear for years and left service with chronic neck pain that was never formally claimed. A provider documented his range of motion, explained how the sustained load contributed to cervical strain, and connected it to service.