Plantar Fasciitis VA Ratings
VA ratings for plantar fasciitis range from 10% to 30%, depending on how many feet are affected and how well the condition has responded to treatment. A separate code, 5167, allows for a 40% rating, but only when there is actual loss of use of the foot. Service connection is the starting point, and the evidence supporting your claim shapes everything that follows.
At InjuredVeterans.com, we work with veterans nationwide, veteran to veteran, to make sure that the rating reflects what you’re living with.
VA Disability Rating for Plantar Fasciitis Under Diagnostic Code 5269
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, the band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes and supporting the arch of the foot. The Mayo Clinic describes the condition as typically producing stabbing heel pain that’s worst with the first steps of the morning. For veterans, that pattern of chronic foot pain may be related to service.
Before February 7, 2021, plantar fasciitis claims were rated by analogy, most commonly under diagnostic code 5276 for pes planus, because no specific code existed. The 2021 revision added DC 5269 to the rating schedule and gave plantar fasciitis its own criteria under 38 CFR 4.71a. A correct plantar fasciitis VA rating depends on how the medical evidence aligns with the criteria under that code.
Under DC 5269, three rating levels are available.
- 10%: This applies to plantar fasciitis in one or both feet when the condition responds to treatment. At this tier, the unilateral versus bilateral distinction does not affect the rating. One foot affected, both feet affected, the same 10% applies as long as treatment is working.
- 20%: Applies when plantar fasciitis in one foot has not responded to both non-surgical and surgical treatment, as defined by the VA rating criteria.
- 30%: This is the schedular maximum under DC 5269, and it applies when plantar fasciitis in both feet has not responded to both non-surgical and surgical treatment, as defined by the VA rating criteria. This is where the bilateral plantar fasciitis VA rating distinction matters most. One treatment-resistant foot reaches 20%. Both feet are unresponsive and reach 30%.
A 40% rating is not part of the DC 5269 scale. It is available only under a separate code, DC 5167. This requires a finding of “loss of use of the foot” as defined by VA regulations. For a practical look at how these criteria play out in a real case, a VA Board decision on plantar fasciitis shows the evaluation process in detail.
2026 COLA Adjustments
The figures below are estimates based on projected 2026 COLA adjustments and should be verified against the VA’s official compensation tables. See the VA disability pay chart or VA disability compensation rates for current figures and dependent adjustments.
| Rating | Monthly Compensation (Veteran, No Dependents) |
|---|---|
| 10% | ~$175.51 |
| 20% | ~$347.05 |
| 30% | ~$537.42 |
| 40% (DC 5167 only) | ~$774.16 |
Service Connection Requirements for Plantar Fasciitis Claims
Any VA rating for plantar fasciitis requires service connection first. The VA looks for three elements, and a gap in any one of them can end a claim before it reaches the rating stage.
- A current diagnosis of plantar fasciitis from a qualified medical provider.
- An in-service event, injury, or condition that caused or aggravated the plantar fasciitis.
- A medical nexus linking that in-service cause to the current diagnosis.
Military service creates conditions for plantar fasciitis in ways that most civilian jobs don’t. Long marches with heavy rucksacks, prolonged standing and patrolling on hard surfaces, daily running in military-issue boots, and carrying equipment that changes how you move. All of these put sustained and repeated stress on the plantar fascia over the years.
The nexus letter for plantar fasciitis is often a critical component of the claim. A qualified medical professional, typically a podiatrist or orthopedic specialist, provides a written opinion that military service was at least as likely as not the cause of the current diagnosis.
Secondary Service Connection for Plantar Fasciitis
Not every service-connected plantar fasciitis case starts with a direct injury to the foot. Altered gait is one of the more common causes, and the VA recognizes secondary service connection when an existing service-connected condition caused or contributed to a new one.
Knee injuries, lumbar spine problems, and pes planus are among the conditions commonly associated with the biomechanical changes that lead to plantar fasciitis. When a veteran favors one leg because of a service-connected knee or back condition, the compensatory movement pattern shifts load onto the plantar fascia in ways that accumulate over time.
Evidence for secondary service connection follows the same framework as direct service connection. You need a current diagnosis, an established primary service-connected condition, and a medical nexus linking the two. The VA rating for plantar fasciitis under secondary service connection follows the same DC 5269 scale. How you got to service connection doesn’t change how the condition is rated once it’s established.
Plantar Fasciitis Secondary Conditions and Combined Ratings
When chronic foot pain changes how a veteran walks, the knees, hips, lower back, and ankles absorb the compensation and develop problems of their own over time. If those secondary conditions develop from a service-connected plantar fasciitis diagnosis, they may be ratable independently.
This is where combined ratings start to matter. Each additional service-connected condition adds to the overall disability rating through the VA’s combined ratings formula, which uses whole-person calculations rather than simple addition. A veteran with a 30% VA rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis, 20% for a resulting knee condition, and 10% for lower back changes related to gait compensation would result in a combined rating higher than 30% under VA math.
The bilateral factor also applies when the same condition exists in both feet or both limbs. The VA adds 10% of the existing combined value for bilateral conditions before rounding, which can shift a combined total to the next increment.
What to Expect at Your C&P Exam for Plantar Fasciitis
The Compensation & Pension exam is where the examiner’s findings feed directly into the rating decision, which makes arriving prepared more important than most veterans expect.
Examiners focus on pain levels and functional limitations, your history of treatment and whether it provided lasting relief, how the condition affects each foot independently, and any documented failures of conservative care. Morning pain carries particular weight because plantar fasciitis characteristically presents at its worst with the first steps of the day. Veterans who’ve spent years pushing through it often underreport that specific symptom without realizing it matters to the rating.
Before the appointment, a few things are worth doing:
- Bring any orthotics, boot inserts, or assistive devices you’ve been prescribed
- Organize your treatment records chronologically
- Be ready to describe how the condition limits your daily activities in concrete terms, not just that it causes pain
- Describe your worst days, not your average ones. The examiner needs to understand the full range of your symptoms.
For a more thorough walkthrough of the full process, see how to prepare for the C&P exam, what to expect, and how to present your condition effectively.
If the C&P result was inadequate or the examiner missed the functional impact of the condition, that finding can be challenged on appeal.
Evidence Requirements and Treatment Documentation
A strong plantar fasciitis claim is built on documentation.
Core evidence includes a current diagnosis from a podiatrist or orthopedic specialist, clinical evaluation, and, when supported by imaging such as X-rays or ultrasound, a complete history of treatment attempts. For a broader look at VA disability evidence requirements, see our resource page on the matter.
Ultimately, what moves a VA disability rating for plantar fasciitis from 10% to 20% or 30% is documented treatment failure. The rating scale under DC 5269 is built around it. Records need to show that conservative treatment options, including orthotics, physical therapy, and corticosteroid injections, did not provide lasting relief. Where applicable, records should also address whether more advanced treatments, including surgery, were considered or attempted.
Every treatment attempt should be in the record with dates and outcomes. If something didn’t work, that failure needs to be documented, not just the fact that treatment occurred.
TDIU for Plantar Fasciitis
Some veterans find that plantar fasciitis, or plantar fasciitis combined with other service-connected conditions, makes it difficult to maintain steady employment. Total Disability Individual Unemployability, TDIU, provides compensation at the 100% rate even when the combined disability rating doesn’t reach that level.
The schedular maximum under DC 5269 is 30%. The 40% rating under DC 5167 applies only when there is actual loss of use of the foot, a high bar that most veterans with plantar fasciitis will not meet. On its own, plantar fasciitis generally does not meet the schedular ratings needed for TDIU eligibility, which can require either a single condition rated at 60% or a combined rating of 70% with at least one condition at 40%.
That doesn’t make plantar fasciitis irrelevant to a TDIU claim. A rating of 20% or 30% alongside other service-connected conditions, if those conditions together create real and substantial barriers to employment, can contribute meaningfully to a TDIU application. The question the VA asks is whether your service-connected disabilities, taken as a whole, prevent you from maintaining substantially gainful employment.
Appeals and Rating Increases for Plantar Fasciitis Claims
A denied or underrated plantar fasciitis VA rating is not the end of the road. The VA’s appeals system under the Appeals Modernization Act offers three paths: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
If the denial was based on missing or insufficient evidence, a Supplemental Claim with new medical records, a stronger nexus opinion, or buddy statements is often the best first move. However, if the condition was rated correctly based on records at the time but has worsened since, a claim for a rating increase is the appropriate path.
Veterans still working through an initial claim can find guidance on filing a VA disability claim, and those with an existing rating that no longer reflects their condition can explore options to increase their VA disability rating.
Get Help with Your Plantar Fasciitis VA Disability Claim
If you’ve been working out your plantar fasciitis VA rating on your own, InjuredVeterans.com is here to help. Our team is veteran-led, which means we’re not translating your experience from the outside. We have people on our team who have been through military service, have been through the evaluation system, and they understand how conditions like plantar fasciitis develop in a service context.
To get started, first know that case reviews with us are FREE. Veterans can complete the signup process electronically without leaving home, and we handle cases nationwide.
When you’re ready to talk through your claim, call 844-423-3338 or fill out an online form.
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