VA rating guide · Neurological
Migraine VA Rating: Prostrating Attacks Explained
Migraines are rated on how often you have prostrating attacks, the kind that force you to stop everything. Documentation is everything, because the VA can’t see a migraine at your exam.
- Exact VA criteria
- What “prostrating” means
- Headache log tips
- TBI, PTSD & neck links
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Migraine Rating Criteria
Other chronic headache conditions are often rated by analogy under these same criteria. 2026 pay shown for a veteran with no dependents.
What “Prostrating” and “Economic Inadaptability” Mean
The regulation doesn’t define prostrating, but in practice it describes an attack so severe that you have to stop what you’re doing and lie down, often in a dark, quiet room, until it passes. A headache you can work through usually doesn’t qualify.
Severe economic inadaptability, required for 50%, doesn’t mean you must be unemployed. Frequent missed work, leaving early, reduced hours, or lost productivity from attacks can all support it.
How to Document Migraines
- Keep a headache log for several months: date, how long it lasted, what you had to stop doing, and whether you had to lie down.
- Track work impact: sick days, leaving early, and time you couldn’t function on the job.
- Get statements from a spouse, family member or co-worker who has seen you during attacks.
- Make sure treatment is in your records: medications, ER visits and neurology appointments.
The criteria look at the average “over last several months,” so a consistent log is often the strongest evidence you can bring.
Common Ways Migraines Are Service-Connected
- Directly, if headaches started or were treated in service
- Secondary to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from blasts, vehicle accidents or falls
- Secondary to PTSD, depression or anxiety
- Secondary to a neck (cervical spine) condition
- Secondary to tinnitus or medications for other service-connected conditions
Migraine VA Rating: Common Questions
How many migraines a month do I need for 30%?
The 30% criteria require characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on average once a month over the last several months. The 10% level is about one prostrating attack every two months.
Can I get 50% for migraines if I still work?
Yes. Severe economic inadaptability doesn’t require being unable to work. Evidence that attacks significantly affect your work, such as frequent absences or reduced hours, can support it.
Do tension headaches count?
Headache conditions other than migraine are often rated by analogy under the migraine criteria, so the same focus on prostrating attacks applies.
Does a headache log really matter?
Yes. The examiner can’t observe a migraine during a short exam, so a consistent log of frequency, duration and severity over several months is often the most persuasive evidence.
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