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Rating guide · Feet

Foot Claims: Fallen Arches & Heel Pain

Boots on concrete, miles of road marching and long shifts standing on shop or flight-line floors take it out of your feet. The VA rates pes planus and plantar fasciitis under separate codes, and arches flagged at your entrance physical aren’t automatically ruled out.

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Pes planus tiers
Plantar fasciitis tiers
Noted at entry
Knee, hip & back

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Service connection

Flat Feet on Your Entrance Exam

If the enlistment physical recorded flat feet, the VA treats them as pre-existing. You can still win service connection by showing aggravation: that service pushed the condition beyond where it would have gone on its own. Rucking, field training and carrying heavy gear are the typical causes, and sick-call notes about foot pain are strong proof.

When nothing was noted at entry, the law presumes you joined in sound condition, and a direct claim is usually more straightforward.

38 CFR 4.71a · DC 5276

Pes Planus (Flat Feet) Levels

Criteria as of October 2026. Dollar amounts for each percentage are on our calculator page.
Rating	VA criteria
50%	Pronounced, bilateral (30% unilateral): marked pronation, extreme tenderness of plantar surfaces of the feet, marked inward displacement and severe spasm of the tendo achillis on manipulation, not improved by orthopedic shoes or appliances.
30%	Severe, bilateral (20% unilateral): objective evidence of marked deformity (pronation, abduction, etc.), pain on manipulation and use accentuated, indication of swelling on use, characteristic callosities.
10%	Moderate, bilateral or unilateral: weight-bearing line over or medial to great toe, inward bowing of the tendo achillis, pain on manipulation and use of the feet.
0%	Mild: symptoms relieved by built-up shoe or arch support.

38 CFR 4.71a · DC 5269

Plantar Fasciitis Levels

Criteria as of October 2026. Actual loss of use of the foot is rated 40%. A veteran who isn’t a surgical candidate, when surgery has been recommended, can still meet the 20% or 30% level.
Rating	VA criteria
30%	No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, bilateral.
20%	No relief from both non-surgical and surgical treatment, unilateral.
10%	Otherwise, unilateral or bilateral.

The ripple effect

Bad Feet Rarely Stay a Foot Problem

Favoring sore feet shifts your stride, and over time that strain can show up in a knee, a hip or your lower back. Each can be claimed as secondary to service-connected feet when a medical opinion explains the link. Podiatry or primary care notes from the VA clinic in Davenport, or any Illinois provider, help show how long it has been going on.

FAQ

Flat Feet VA Rating: Common Questions

My flat feet were on my entrance exam. Can I still claim them?

Yes, on an aggravation theory, if service made them worse than their natural course would have.

Inserts help a lot. Does that affect my rating?

If arch supports or built-up shoes relieve the symptoms, flat feet rate 0%. The higher levels are for symptoms that persist despite them.

Can I be rated for flat feet and plantar fasciitis together?

They are separate codes, but the VA won’t pay twice for the same symptoms. It depends on whether each causes its own distinct problems.

My knees hurt from how I walk. Is that claimable?

Often. Knee, hip and back conditions caused by an altered gait can be claimed as secondary with a supporting medical opinion.

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