Intractable Back Pain ICD-10-CM Codes

Table of content

What Intractable Back Pain ICD codes can I use?Is this Intractable Back Pain ICD code billable?Clinical information about Intractable Back Pain Synonyms include FAQS

Use Code

What Intractable Back Pain ICD codes can I use?

If you’re having trouble looking for Intractable Back Pain ICD codes, that would be the lack of ICD-10 codes that mention intractable back pain in their names. When we speak of intractable back pain, we refer to a type of back pain that doesn’t improve or go away despite using typical treatment. This pain doesn’t necessarily have to be in a specific location because it’s a term that refers to back pain related to the muscles, nerves, and joints. It doesn’t include pain from the likes of scoliosis and lordosis.

Given this, if you’re handling a patient with intractable back pain, you can use M54.9 - Dorsalgia, unspecified. What is unspecified is the problem causing it and which part of the back is affected. Since we’re not focusing on any specific location when we say intractable back pain, this is the best choice because it’s the closest problem that fits the subject.

Click here to view on YouTube

Is this Intractable Back Pain ICD code billable?

Yes. This Intractable Back Pain-related ICD-10 code is valid and billable.

Clinical information about Intractable Back Pain:

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems healthcare professionals deal with. Everyone will feel pain in their backs at specific points in life, varying degrees, especially as they grow older.

Back pain can be mild, meaning it’s dull and can be shrugged off. Some might feel a sharp or tingly type of back pain, while others might feel pain radiating to other parts of the back and even the lower or upper extremities.

The pain can also be acute or chronic. Acute back pain is a pain that pops out of nowhere and should only last a few hours, days, or weeks. If the pain remains after three months, it’s chronic back pain.

If the pain is referred to as intractable, that means that the pain doesn’t lessen or go away even when typical treatment has been applied/taken by the person.

Synonyms include:

Backache
Backache with radiation
Discogenic pain
Disorder characterized by back pain
Exacerbation of backache
Pain in spine

Commonly asked questions

You mentioned that intractable back pain doesn’t go away with typical treatments. Does this mean that the pain will never go away?

No. It’s just that the treatments that you or your doctor thought would work didn’t. Taking pain relievers doesn’t mean the pain will go away. Sometimes, all they can do is mask the pain for a while before it returns. What needs to be done is to examine the patient to determine what is causing the pain.

Since the ICD-10 code for dorsalgia was specified, what are the common causes of dorsalgia?

Examples of dorsalgia causes include disc degeneration, back muscle strains, and spinal nerve compressions.

What if imaging tests find the source of the intractable back pain? Does the dorsalgia ICD-10 code still apply?

That depends. If the tests confirm the specific problem, then using a more specific ICD-10 code is best. The ICD-10 code we mentioned in this guide is unspecified, so it’s best to use it if the problem hasn’t been determined. However, if the problem doesn’t have a specific ICD-10 code, you can still use M54.9. Once the particular issue has been determined, it can be addressed appropriately. The intractable back pain may not be intractable anymore.