Neck Pain ICD-10 Code: An Essential Guide

Keeping accurate records in your physical therapy practice involves using precise medical codes to describe patient diagnoses. Several neck pain ICD-10 codes apply to patients experiencing pain in the cervical spine. Does your practice know when to use the general M54.2 (cervicalgia) code and when to use more specific codes?

Learn more about the different ICD-10 codes that apply to neck pain and how Weave can simplify your medical coding and billing processes.

What is ICD-10 Code M54.2 (cervicalgia)?

M54.2 is the general, default code for neck pain when no specific underlying cause is identified. It can describe either acute or chronic cervicalgia, or discomfort in the cervical spine region. Pain can be dull, sharp, constant, or intermittent.

While M54.2 is a billable code under ICD-10, it lacks detail. Practices should use a more specific code if the actual cause of the neck pain is known.

The same code under ICD-9 was 723.1 – Neck pain, though this code is now obsolete.

Related ICD-10 codes for neck pain

Several ICD-10 codes can more accurately describe neck pain for patients who have diagnosed conditions or more specific symptoms. Below are ICD-10 codes for neck pain to keep in mind that may better suit a patient’s condition.

General neck pain codes

For neck pain that has not yet been assigned an official diagnosis, your practice may use one of these general neck pain ICD-10 codes.

M54.2 – Cervicalgia: Use this when neck pain is present, but no structural abnormality or nerve involvement is documented. This code is often a starting point for coding undiagnosed neck pain.
M54.9 – Dorsalgia, unspecified: Use this when pain is in the back, including the neck, but the location is unclear in documentation. If the neck is clearly specified, this code is generally avoided.

Nerve-related neck pain codes

For nerve-related neck pain, you might use either of these codes:

M54.12 – Radiculopathy, cervical region: This code describes pain, tingling, or numbness in the neck that radiates into the arm due to nerve root compression, such as from a herniated disc. Use it when symptoms indicate nerve involvement verified by imaging or a clinical exam.
M54.13 – Radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region: This diagnosis is similar to cervical radiculopathy, but nerve involvement extends into the neck and the upper back or shoulder blade area. Use it when pain crosses into the upper thoracic region.

Cervical spine disorders with pain

Disorders of the cervical spine that produce chronic pain might involve any of these medical codes:

M50.x – Cervical disc disorders: These codes apply to conditions like herniated, bulging, or degenerated discs in the neck. They might include intervertebral cervical disc disorder, cervical disc degeneration, cervical disc displacement, cervical myelopathy disc disorder, or related conditions. M50.x can be coded with or without radiculopathy or myelopathy.
M47.81x – Spondylosis, cervical region: This generally refers to arthritis or wear-and-tear changes in the cervical spine, which can sometimes cause nerve compression. Use this code when exams or imaging have verified degenerative joint disease in the neck.
M48.02 – Spinal stenosis, cervical region: Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the neck, which can compress the nerves or spinal cord. Apply this code when imaging confirms stenosis and symptoms support the diagnosis, such as weakness, numbness, or balance issues.

Other conditions causing neck pain

Keep these additional codes in mind to describe other conditions that cause acute or chronic neck pain.

M53.1 – Cervicobrachial syndrome: This condition involves pain, stiffness, and sometimes nerve symptoms in the neck and arm that do not have a clear single cause. Use this code when symptoms suggest a mix of muscular and nerve symptoms without an exact anatomical diagnosis.
S13.4 – Sprain of ligaments of cervical spine: This is a ligament injury in the neck, often caused by trauma such as whiplash. Use this code when there is documented trauma and soft tissue damage but no fracture or cervical disc displacement.
M54.89 – Other specified dorsalgia: This code describes pain in an unspecified cervical region from a less common cause or one that does not fit into other categories.

When to use M54.2 vs. a more specific code

Under ICD-10, medical providers should always choose the most specific medical code supported by documentation. This means that it would only be applicable to use the M54.2 code when the neck pain was undiagnosed, such as during a patient’s initial consultation.

Common mistakes include:

Using M54.2 when imaging confirms cervical disc herniation, which should be M50.x
Failing to use radiculopathy codes when nerve involvement is clear

ICD-10 includes an Excludes1 note when two conditions are mutually exclusive and cannot be coded together for the same condition. It uses an Excludes2 note to indicate that the excluded condition is not included with the code but may be coded separately. Keep this in mind as well when determining neck pain ICD-10 codes.

How to choose the right ICD-10 code for neck pain

Follow these steps to identify the right ICD-10 code to describe a patient’s chronic or acute neck pain.

Review patient symptoms. Check whether the pain is localized to a specific cervical region, whether the patient is experiencing pain with numbness or weakness, or whether any other symptoms would point to a specific condition or diagnosis.
Review the physical exam findings. If symptoms like tenderness, reduced range of motion, or nerve symptoms were identified, this can also inform your code selection.
Check imaging tests or other test results. Look for diagnoses of cervical disc disorder, arthritis, stenosis, or related conditions from test results.
Match findings to the most specific ICD-10 code available. Find the ICD-10 code that best describes the patient’s condition.

Why accurate neck pain ICD-10 coding matters

Why take the time to choose the most accurate ICD-10 code when a patient comes to your practice with neck pain? This benefits a few processes in your practice.

Patient care and communication

Excellent patient care relies on precise diagnoses. Identifying the most accurate code that describes a patient’s neck pain ensures accuracy and consistency in their care and promotes continuity across providers. This is a medical necessity if you want to provide the best patient care.

Billing and reimbursement

Insurance payers use ICD-10 codes to approve or deny claims. Assigning more specific codes to a patient’s chart often reduces claim denials, as insurers can see that the patient has an actual, specific diagnosis. This also supports revenue consistency for your practice, ensuring that you receive reimbursements for the actual conditions treated and services performed.

Clinical scenarios and correct codes

Here are a few examples of clinical scenarios that demonstrate how you might assign ICD-10 codes to neck pain:

Scenario 1: A patient reports acute neck pain after sleeping incorrectly. You would generally assign M54.2.
Scenario 2: A patient experiences pain radiating down the arm, and an MRI shows a herniated disc. You would assign M50.12.
Scenario 3: A patient reports a gradual onset of neck pain, and an X-ray supports a cervical arthritis diagnosis. You would assign M47.812.

Using Weave tools for accurate coding and billing practices

Weave can improve your physical therapy practice’s coding accuracy and streamline other elements of your workflow.

Weave’s digital forms capture symptom details to inform your code selection. Patients can fill out online forms in advance of their appointment to describe symptoms and prepare your providers for the visit.
Weave’s tools facilitate efficient billing and payments. Features like text to pay, online bill pay, payment plans, and scan to pay allow patients to pay their bills through their preferred method, improving compliance and supporting accurate billing.
Weave reminders and internal messages can help clarify documentation before billing. Seamlessly communicate with your medical staff to ask questions about patient diagnoses or confirm medical codes before submitting bills. Appointment reminders help prevent no-shows that could complicate the billing process.

Weave supports and automates many processes in your healthcare practice, letting you devote more time to patient care.

Final thoughts

Accurate neck pain ICD-10 coding promotes consistent patient care, compliant billing processes, and reliable revenue for your practice. Taking the time to determine the specific code that applies to a patient’s condition is an important step in accurately billing their insurance and keeping precise records in your practice.

Weave can streamline intake, documentation, and coding workflows for medical practices like yours. Request a demo to learn how Weave can support your practice.

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