Low back pain is pain, muscle tension, or stiffness localised below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain (sciatica),and is defined as chronic when it persists for 12 weeks or more (see definition of low back pain [acute]).
Possible Causes and Treatment Options
ICD-10 code M54. 5, low back pain, effective October 1, 2021. That means providers cannot use M54.
ICD-10-CM Code for Dorsalgia, unspecified M54. 9.
5: Low back pain.
Every October 1st brings additions and deletions to the ICD10 codes and although these are 2022 codes the effective date is October 1, 2021. The code for low back pain M54. 5 has been deleted with the addition of 3 codes to replace it.
Dorsalgia generally refers to back or spine pain (1). However, while dorsalgia includes spinal-related pain like lower back pain, mid back pain, and sciatica pain, it does not include pain from conditions like scoliosis or lordosis. Dorsalgia includes back pain that begins in the back muscles, nerves, and joints (2).
For starters, dorsalgia is severe back pain, which could be coming from different parts of the spine. Depending on the specific section of the spine where the pain is coming from, there are six types of dorsalgia. These are: Cervical.
Your lumbar spine is the lower back region of your spinal column or backbone. It consists of five bones (L1-L5). Other structures in or around your lumbar spine are your intervertebral disks, spinal cord and nerves, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
16.
The first new codes in ICD-10-CM 2021 are A84. 81 Powassan virus disease and A84. 89 Other tick-borne viral encephalitis. There are five more new codes under protozoal disease subcategory B60.
M54. 50 - Low back pain, unspecified.
ICD-10-CM Code for Myalgia M79. 1.
17: Radiculopathy Lumbosacral region.
Low back pain. Acute low back pain; Acute low back pain for less than 3 months; Acute low back pain less than 3 months; Chronic low back pain; Chronic low back pain for greater than 3 months; Chronic low back pain greater than 3 months; Chronic low back pain greater than 3 months duration; Low back pain for less than 3 months;
Panniculitis affecting regions of neck and back, sacral and sacrococcygeal region. Panniculitis aff regions of neck/bk, sacr/sacrocygl region; Lumbar facet joint pain; Lumbar facet syndrome; Muscle spasm of thoracic area of back; Muscle spasm of thoracic back; Panniculitis of sacrococcygeal; Panniculitis of sacrococcygeal area.
Cervicothoracic region – The region connecting the cervical and thoracic regions of the spine (C7-T1). Thoracic region – The longest region of the spine which extends from the base of the neck to the abdomen. It comprises of 12 vertebrae (T1 to T12).
Lumbar region – The lower back region of the spine which is curved slightly inwards and made of 5 vertebrae (L1-L5). Lumbosacral region – The region connecting the last lumbar vertebrae to the sacrum which is made of 5 bones fused together.
Chronic back pain – Back pain is said to be chronic if it is a constant nagging pain usually lasting for more than 3-6 months duration, which begins to affect the daily routine of the person.
Sciatica – Pain which radiates down to one or both the legs from the lower back caused due to compression of the sciatic nerve by a herniated disk or a bone spur. Lumbago- The medical term for low back pain.
Radiculopathy- Pain, weakness, numbness and tingling caused due to compressed or pinched nerve along different areas of the spine. Nerve compression can occur due to a ruptured or herniated disk or due to other pathological conditions like tumors or abscess.
Back pain being a symptom of an underlying disease in most cases is coded only in the absence of a confirmed diagnosis of an underlying condition like intervertebral disc disorders, traumatic disc fracture, muscle strain etc..