Yes — but nerve damage isn't rated on its own. OWCP pays schedule awards for permanent impairment to body parts listed in 5 U.S.C. 8107 (arms, legs, hands, feet, and other scheduled members). If nerve damage causes measurable impairment in a scheduled member, a physician rates it under the AMA Guides, 6th Edition, and OWCP pays weeks × impairment percentage × your compensation rate.
How OWCP treats nerve damage (it's not a "body part")
The FECA schedule (5 U.S.C. 8107) lists specific body parts eligible for schedule awards — arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, eyes, ears, and a few others. Nerves themselves are not on that list. Neither is the spine. What OWCP pays for is the functional loss that nerve damage causes in a scheduled member.
Common ways nerve damage translates to a scheduled-member impairment:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome — rated through the hand and/or arm (weakness, sensory loss, and pinch/grip strength in the median-nerve distribution).
- Cubital tunnel or ulnar neuropathy — rated through the arm and hand.
- Sciatica or lumbar radiculopathy — rated through the affected leg (weakness, sensory loss, gait dysfunction in the L4–S1 distribution).
- Cervical radiculopathy — rated through the affected arm (weakness, sensory loss, dexterity loss in the C5–T1 distribution).
- Peripheral neuropathy from a work-related exposure or systemic condition — rated through the affected extremities.
There is no direct schedule award for a spine, back, or neck injury under FECA. But if that spinal injury produces nerve damage that measurably impairs an arm or a leg, the impairment is rated THROUGH the affected extremity using the AMA Guides 6th Edition and DFEC's Guides Newsletter method (Exhibit 3-700-4).
The AMA Guides, 6th Edition — how nerve impairment is rated
OWCP requires impairment ratings performed under the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 6th Edition. Earlier editions are not accepted for schedule award purposes. The rating physician assigns a percentage of impairment to the scheduled extremity based on standardized measurements — not on the diagnosis alone.
Sensory vs. motor deficits — what the physician measures
A qualified rating physician documents objective findings across three axes: sensory function (light touch, pinprick, two-point discrimination), motor function (manual muscle testing graded 0–5, grip and pinch strength), and functional history (activities-of-daily-living limitations, work restrictions, symptoms). The 6th Edition then combines these into a whole-extremity impairment percentage using the appropriate rating table for the affected nerve distribution.
Spinal nerve injuries — DFEC's rating method
For spinal nerve root injuries (radiculopathy from a work-related spine injury), DFEC's Guides Newsletter method — set out in FECA Procedure Manual Exhibit 3-700-4 — walks the rating physician through the specific 6th Edition tables used to convert nerve-root findings into upper- or lower-extremity impairment. Rating a radiculopathy under the wrong method is one of the most common reasons an otherwise valid claim gets returned by OWCP.
Why the rating physician matters
A generic impairment rating from a physician unfamiliar with FECA can sink a valid schedule award. The report needs to explicitly reference the AMA Guides 6th Edition (not the 5th), cite the exact tables used, document the objective measurements table-by-table, and tie the impairment to the accepted work-related condition. NuThera's clinicians perform OWCP impairment ratings that meet those requirements at both Las Vegas locations.
How much is a nerve damage schedule award worth?
The formula is simple. What varies is the scheduled member and the impairment percentage:
Schedule award = statutory weeks for the scheduled member × impairment percentage × your compensation rate (66⅔% of pay if no dependents; 75% if you have qualifying dependents).
Statutory weeks for the most common nerve-damage-adjacent scheduled members (5 U.S.C. 8107):
- Arm — 312 weeks
- Leg — 288 weeks
- Hand — 244 weeks
- Foot — 205 weeks
- Eye — 160 weeks
- Thumb — 75 weeks
- First finger — 46 weeks
A federal employee has L5 radiculopathy from an accepted lumbar injury. The rating physician documents 10% lower-extremity impairment under the AMA Guides 6th Edition. Award = 288 weeks × 10% = 28.8 weeks of compensation, paid at the employee's rate (66⅔% or 75% of pay).
For the complete body-part-by-body-part breakdown, worked examples across multiple injuries, and the full FECA weeks table, see our companion guide: How Much Is an OWCP Schedule Award? (Payouts by Body Part).
What you need before filing (CA-7 + impairment rating)
OWCP will not pay a schedule award until two conditions are met:
- Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) — your condition has stabilized. Impairment ratings performed before MMI are premature and OWCP will return them.
- A written impairment rating report referencing the AMA Guides 6th Edition, tables used, objective measurements, functional history, and a stated impairment percentage.
You then file Form CA-7 with your assigned claims examiner, checking the "schedule award" box, and attach the rating report. Typical OWCP processing time is 4–6 months from a complete submission.
Why OWCP rejects rating reports
- Wrong edition — anything other than the AMA Guides 6th Edition is grounds for return.
- No objective findings — the report cites the diagnosis but not the sensory/motor/functional measurements that produced the percentage.
- No causation tie-in — the impairment isn't clearly linked to the accepted work-related condition on your claim.
- Rating performed before MMI — the condition was still evolving when the rating was assigned.
- Wrong method for spinal nerve injuries — DFEC requires the Guides Newsletter method (Exhibit 3-700-4) for radiculopathy; ratings using other approaches get returned.
Getting a nerve damage impairment rating in Las Vegas
NuThera Injury Recovery & Wellness is OWCP-enrolled and performs AMA Guides 6th Edition impairment ratings for federal workers with nerve-damage claims — carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, radiculopathy, and peripheral neuropathy — at both Las Vegas Valley locations:
- Las Vegas (Rainbow / Spring Valley): 5765 S Rainbow Blvd, Ste 111, Las Vegas, NV 89118-2537
- North Las Vegas (Aliante): 3880 W Ann Rd #130, North Las Vegas, NV 89031
NuThera's OWCP-enrolled providers perform impairment ratings under the AMA Guides, 6th Edition, at both our Las Vegas and North Las Vegas clinics. Call (725) 726-7914 or request an appointment online — we serve federal workers across the Las Vegas Valley.
Keep exploring.
- OWCP schedule awards — the pillar guide
What schedule awards are, who qualifies, how they fit alongside other OWCP benefits — the parent guide for this piece.
- OWCP schedule award payouts by body part
The full FECA body-part weeks table + worked examples for arm, leg, hand, foot, hearing loss, and nerve-damage cases.
- OWCP Overview
How NuThera supports federal workers through the full OWCP claim lifecycle — filing, treatment, documentation, and impairment rating.
- OWCP Forms — CA-7
Official CA-7 form + companion guides for filing a schedule award claim after MMI.
- DOL Injury Recovery at NuThera
The service page for our OWCP-focused evaluation, treatment, and impairment-rating program.
- Las Vegas (Rainbow) clinic
Address, hours, and directions for our Rainbow Blvd clinic — the primary OWCP intake location.
Common questions.
Can I get a schedule award for nerve damage alone?
Only when the nerve damage causes measurable permanent impairment in a scheduled member (arm, leg, hand, foot, etc.). Isolated nerve damage that does not affect a scheduled body part typically does not qualify. The rating is calculated through the affected extremity using the AMA Guides 6th Edition.
What percentage of impairment is nerve damage worth?
It depends on the sensory loss, motor weakness, and functional impact documented by the rating physician. Mild sensory loss with preserved strength may yield a low single-digit percentage; severe motor deficits with functional loss can produce ratings of 20% or higher of the affected extremity. Every case is measured against the AMA Guides 6th Edition tables — there is no fixed percentage per diagnosis.
Does carpal tunnel qualify for an OWCP schedule award?
Yes — when accepted as work-related and rated after MMI. Carpal tunnel is rated through the hand and/or arm using the AMA Guides 6th Edition, based on median-nerve sensory findings, thenar muscle weakness, grip/pinch strength, and functional history. Work-related carpal tunnel is usually filed on Form CA-2 (occupational disease).
How is spinal nerve damage (radiculopathy) rated for a schedule award?
The spine itself is not scheduled, but radiculopathy affecting an arm or leg is rated through that extremity. DFEC's Guides Newsletter method (FECA Procedure Manual Exhibit 3-700-4) walks the rating physician through the specific AMA Guides 6th Edition tables used to convert nerve-root findings into upper- or lower-extremity impairment.
Who can perform my OWCP impairment rating?
A qualified physician (MD or DO) familiar with the AMA Guides 6th Edition and OWCP's documentation requirements. Not every doctor performs impairment ratings — you can and should choose an OWCP-experienced provider under 20 CFR 10.300(d). NuThera performs OWCP impairment ratings at both Las Vegas locations; call (725) 726-7914.
Can I get a schedule award while still working?
Yes. A schedule award compensates you for the permanent impairment itself, not for wage loss. You can be working full duty, on modified duty, or off work entirely and still receive a schedule award. It runs concurrently with wage-loss compensation only in limited situations — talk to your claims examiner or a federal employee representative for the specifics of your claim.