EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. Not legal or medical advice. Not affiliated with the VA.
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Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods)
✓ VERIFIED AGAINST 38 C.F.R.§ 4.116 (Gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast) · reviewed 2026-05-15 · ClaimRecon Editorial Team
Dysmenorrhea (Painful Periods) is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs under DC 7615 of 38 CFR § 4.116, DC 7615 (disease/injury of ovaries — canonical DC for dysmenorrhea per ratingCriteria.ts) across 3 severity tiers (0% / 10% / 30%). Service connection requires (1) a current diagnosis, (2) an in-service event, injury, or exposure, and (3) a medical nexus opinion linking the two under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303.
OVERVIEW
Severe, recurrent menstrual cramps and pain during menstruation that interferes with daily activities. Primary dysmenorrhea has no underlying cause. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by conditions like endometriosis or fibroids.
RATING CRITERIA (3 LEVELS)
0%
Symptoms that do not require continuous treatment.
10%
Symptoms that require continuous treatment.
30%
Symptoms not controlled by continuous treatment.
KEY EVIDENCE TO GATHER
-Service treatment records showing injury or complaints
-Imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT)
-Range of motion measurements
-Flare-up documentation per Sharp v. Shulkin
-Buddy statements describing limitations
-Prescription history
-Physical therapy records
-Employment impact documentation
C&P EXAM TIPS (6)
1.Do NOT stretch, warm up, or take pain medication before your exam. The VA needs your baseline limitation.
2.Report your WORST day. DeLuca v. Brown requires documentation of functional loss during flare-ups.
3.Tell the examiner about flare-ups: frequency, duration, estimated ROM loss. Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) requires estimates.
4.Request active, passive, weight-bearing, and non-weight-bearing ROM testing per Correia v. McDonald (2016).
5.If you use assistive devices (brace, cane), bring them.
6.Describe daily activity impact: work, sleep, household tasks.
SOURCES & EDITORIAL
Rating criteria text quoted verbatim from 38 C.F.R. § 4.116 (Gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast). Source verified 2026-05-15 by ClaimRecon Editorial Team during a regulation-text comparison against the Cornell Law CFR mirror; eCFR.gov is the authoritative government source.
EDUCATIONAL TOOL ONLY. NOT LEGAL OR MEDICAL ADVICE.
NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
CLAIM RECON 2026