Fibromyalgia — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Fibromyalgia
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960C-7 (Fibromyalgia) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Fibromyalgia — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Fibromyalgia, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Fibromyalgia
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.71a, DC 5025 (fibromyalgia). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points, with or without associated symptoms (such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, or depression), that require continuous medication for control.
Symptoms that are episodic, with exacerbations often precipitated by environmental or emotional stress or by overexertion, but that are present more than one-third of the time.
Symptoms that are constant, or nearly so, and refractory to therapy.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Fibromyalgia raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Fibromyalgia claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Annals of Internal Medicine, 2005 · PMID 15941694
Finding: In a national cohort of 1991 Gulf War veterans examined ~10 years post-war, fibromyalgia was significantly more prevalent among deployed (2.0%) than nondeployed (1.2%) veterans, with an odds ratio of 2.32 (95% CI 1.02-5.27). Chronic fatigue syndrome and dyspepsia were also elevated.
Why it helps: A large, direct-examination VA cohort study supporting an association between Gulf War deployment and a roughly two-fold higher risk of fibromyalgia, useful for a direct service-connection argument.
Psychological Medicine, 2006 · PMID 16438740
Finding: Systematic review of 23 studies found Gulf War deployment associated with greater reporting of multi-symptom conditions, with the strongest link to chronic fatigue syndrome (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.2-6.7) and roughly 3.5-fold higher odds of CDC-defined chronic multi-symptom illness, a category that includes fibromyalgia-type widespread pain.
Why it helps: A systematic review supporting an association between Gulf War service and the cluster of medically unexplained multi-symptom conditions in which fibromyalgia falls, helpful as higher-quality evidence for a direct claim.
The American Journal of Medicine, 2019 · PMID 30576630
Finding: Among deployed 1991 Gulf War veterans, those with chronic multisymptom illness (n=73) were more likely than controls (n=111) to have fibromyalgia syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and metabolic syndrome, and showed measurable autonomic nervous system abnormalities (reduced heart-rate-variability DFA1, 1.28 vs 1.35; p=0.005).
Why it helps: Supports an association between deployment-related Gulf War illness and fibromyalgia, and points to an objective physiologic (autonomic) correlate, which helps counter the perception that fibromyalgia is purely subjective.
PLoS One, 2021 · PMID 34874939
Finding: Chart review of 204 Gulf War veterans who met criteria for Gulf War Illness found only 11% had fibromyalgia documented in their record and fewer were service-connected for a medically unexplained symptom condition than were diagnosed, while musculoskeletal (79%) and mental health (74%) conditions were far more often service-connected.
Why it helps: Documents that fibromyalgia and related conditions are under-diagnosed and under-service-connected in Gulf War veterans, supporting the case that an undocumented fibromyalgia may be present and warrants evaluation.
- Psychological trauma and functional somatic syndromes: a systematic review and meta-analysisSecondary
Psychosomatic Medicine, 2014 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 24336429
Finding: Meta-analysis of 71 studies found individuals reporting trauma exposure were 2.7 times more likely (95% CI 2.27-3.10) to have a functional somatic syndrome including fibromyalgia, and the association with PTSD specifically was significantly larger than with sexual or physical abuse alone.
Why it helps: A meta-analysis supporting a strong association between PTSD/psychological trauma and fibromyalgia, useful for a secondary-to-PTSD nexus argument.
medRxiv (preprint), 2025 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 41001472
Finding: A multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of 2,563,755 individuals (54,629 fibromyalgia cases) identified 26 risk loci and found strong positive genetic correlations between fibromyalgia and other conditions, including correlations above 0.7 with low back pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome; heritability was enriched in brain tissue.
Why it helps: Very large genetic study showing fibromyalgia shares a high degree of biological overlap with PTSD and back pain, supporting a plausible secondary relationship to service-connected PTSD and musculoskeletal pain. Note: preprint, not yet peer-reviewed.
Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, 2025 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 40576704
Finding: This review notes fibromyalgia and PTSD frequently co-occur and share clinical features, risk factors, and a common mechanism of salience-network hyperactivity and central sensitization, supporting the hypothesis of shared stress-related vulnerability between the two conditions.
Why it helps: Explains a biologically plausible shared-mechanism link between PTSD and fibromyalgia, useful narrative support for a secondary-to-PTSD nexus.
- Fibromyalgia in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysisSecondary
Frontiers in Physiology, 2024 · nexus to sleep apnea (obstructive sleep apnea) · PMID 38831795
Finding: Meta-analysis of 14 studies found that 21% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) had fibromyalgia, with higher risk among obese and female patients, and fibromyalgia-positive patients had marginally lower minimum oxygen saturation.
Why it helps: Supports an association between obstructive sleep apnea and fibromyalgia, helpful for a secondary-to-sleep-apnea nexus where sleep apnea is already service-connected.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Fibromyalgia
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Fibromyalgia. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Related Guides
Fibromyalgia as a Secondary Condition
Fibromyalgia is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Fibromyalgiaclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Fibromyalgia should also be looking at:
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Draft your Fibromyalgia personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Fibromyalgia VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Fibromyalgia evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
More free tools
Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.