ICD-10 Code M54.50: Low back pain, unspecified
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system
ICD-10 code M54.50 identifies unspecified low back pain, part of the expanded M54.5 subcategory introduced to add specificity.
Coding guidance
M54.5 was expanded into M54.50 (unspecified), M54.51 (vertebrogenic low back pain) and M54.59 (other low back pain).
M54.5 itself is no longer a valid billable code and will be rejected if submitted.
Documentation should specify the nature of the low back pain when known.
Documentation and specificity notes
- A very high-volume code in primary care, orthopedics, physical therapy and chiropractic.
- Submitting the deprecated M54.5 causes automatic rejection: verify your code set is current.
- Specify vertebrogenic pain when documentation supports it.
This page provides a general summary for educational purposes and is not a substitute for the official ICD-10-CM code set, the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting, or payer policy. Code sets are updated annually, verify against the current official release before billing.
FAQ
ICD-10 M54.50, frequently asked questions questions
- What is ICD-10 code M54.50?
- ICD-10 code M54.50 identifies unspecified low back pain, part of the expanded M54.5 subcategory introduced to add specificity.
- Is M54.50 a billable ICD-10 code?
- Yes. M54.50 is a billable and specific ICD-10-CM code that may be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes, provided documentation supports it.
- What documentation supports M54.50?
- A very high-volume code in primary care, orthopedics, physical therapy and chiropractic. Submitting the deprecated M54.5 causes automatic rejection: verify your code set is current. Specify vertebrogenic pain when documentation supports it.
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