Chiropractic ICD-10 codes are essential for recording diagnoses, symptoms, and procedures for every patient encounter. Not just for record purposes, ICD-10 codes (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) also play a crucial role in chiropractic billing and reimbursements. Coding errors often result in claim denials. That’s why using valid diagnoses codes can facilitate better claims payments and support the medical necessity of the service in case of review or audits.
There are over 70,000 ICD-10 codes within the fiscal year 2024, with 395 new ICD-10 codes added, 25 codes removed, and 22 existing ones altered in the 2024 ICD-10 code update. To help you navigate the complexities of coding, we’ve compiled this ICD-10 codes chiropractic cheat sheet that covers all the diagnoses codes used for different musculoskeletal diseases.
Use this common ICD-10 codes cheat sheet as a guide for coding. It is not intended to represent all ICD-10 codes accepted by insurance payers.
Migraine
A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. The table below includes the most commonly used chiropractic ICD-10 codes for migraines:
| Code | Code Description |
| G43.001 | Migraine without aura, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.009 | Migraine without aura, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.011 | Migraine without aura, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.019 | Migraine without aura, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.101 | Migraine with aura, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.109 | Migraine with aura, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.111 | Migraine with aura, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.119 | Migraine with aura, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.401 | Hemiplegic migraine, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.409 | Hemiplegic migraine, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.411 | Hemiplegic migraine, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.419 | Hemiplegic migraine, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.501 | Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.509 | Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.511 | Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.519 | Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.601 | Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.609 | Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.611 | Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.619 | Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.701 | Chronic migraine without aura, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.709 | Chronic migraine without aura, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.711 | Chronic migraine without aura, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.719 | Chronic migraine without aura, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.A0 | Cyclical vomiting in migraine, not intractable |
| G43.A1 | Cyclical vomiting in migraine, intractable |
| G43.B0 | Ophthalmoplegic migraine not intractable |
| G43.B1 | Ophthalmoplegic migraine intractable |
| G43.C0 | Periodic headache syndromes in child or adult not intractable |
| G43.C1 | Periodic headache syndromes in child or adult intractable |
| G43.D0 | Abdominal migraine not intractable |
| G43.D1 | Abdominal migraine intractable |
| G43.801 | Other migraine, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.809 | Other migraine, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.811 | Other migraine, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.819 | Other migraine, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.821 | Menstrual migraine, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.829 | Menstrual migraine, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.831 | Menstrual migraine, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.839 | Menstrual migraine, intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.901 | Migraine, unspecified, not intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.909 | Migraine, unspecified, not intractable without status migrainosus |
| G43.911 | Migraine, unspecified, intractable with status migrainosus |
| G43.919 | Migraine, unspecified, intractable without status migrainosus |
Type 1 Excludes for Migraine Codes
- headache NOS (R51.9)
- lower half migraine (G44.00)
Type 2 Excludes for Migraine Codes
- headache syndromes (G44.-)
Back Pain
Back pain is a common reason for seeking chiropractic treatment. It can be uncomfortable and debilitating. People of all ages can experience back pain for various reasons. Pain in the upper back can be caused by disorders of the aorta, ad inflammation of the spine and other reasons. Lower back pain may be linked to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, and abdominal and pelvic internal organs.
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 chiropractic codes for back pain:
| Code | Code Description |
| M54.10 | Radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M54.11 | Radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M54.12 | Radiculopathy, cervical region |
| M54.13 | Radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M54.14 | Radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M54.15 | Radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M54.16 | Radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M54.17 | Radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M54.18 | Radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M54.2 | Cervicalgia |
| M54.30 | Sciatica, unspecified side |
| M54.31 | Sciatica, right side |
| M54.32 | Sciatica, left side |
| M54.40 | Lumbago with sciatica, unspecified side |
| M54.41 | Lumbago with sciatica, right side |
| M54.42 | Lumbago with sciatica, left side |
| M54.5 | Low back pain |
| M54.6 | Pain in thoracic spine |
| M54.81 | Occipital neuralgia |
| M54.89 | Other dorsalgia |
| M54.9 | Dorsalgia, unspecified |
Cervical Pain Disorders
Cervicalgia, commonly known as neck pain, is a prevalent issue, affecting two-thirds of the population at some point in their lives. Some of the synonyms for cervical pain:
- Neck pain
- Acute neck pain (less than 3 months)
- Chronic neck pain
- Pain in cervical spine (less than 3 months)
- Pain in cervical spine (more than 3 months)
- Acute pain in cervical spine (less than 3 months)
- Chronic pain in cervical spine (more than 3 months)
- Chronic neck pain (greater than 3 months)
The table below includes the most commonly used ICD-10 chiropractic codes for Cervical Pain Disorders:
| Codes | Code Description |
| M50.90 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.00 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.01 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.02 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, mid-cervical region |
| M50.03 | Cervical disc disorder with myelopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.10 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.11 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.12 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, mid-cervical region |
| M50.13 | Cervical disc disorder with radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.20 | Other cervical disc displacement, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.21 | Other cervical disc displacement, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.22 | Other cervical disc displacement, mid-cervical region |
| M50.23 | Other cervical disc displacement, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.30 | Other cervical disc degeneration, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.31 | Other cervical disc degeneration, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.32 | Other cervical disc degeneration, mid-cervical region |
| M50.33 | Other cervical disc degeneration, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.80 | Other cervical disc disorders, unspecified cervical region |
| M50.81 | Other cervical disc disorders, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.82 | Other cervical disc disorders, mid-cervical region |
| M50.83 | Other cervical disc disorders, cervicothoracic region |
| M50.91 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M50.92 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, mid-cervical region |
| M50.93 | Cervical disc disorder, unspecified, cervicothoracic region |
| Z03.75 | Encounter for suspected cervical shortening ruled out |
Sciatica
Sciatica (also referred to as lumbar radiculopathy) is a condition characterized as an injury to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve begins at your hip and runs through the leg to knee. Conditions like herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, foraminal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, osteoarthritis, and other diseases could cause sciatica.
Here are the commonly used ICD-10 codes for sciatica based on the degree of specificity you can identify.
| Codes | Code Description |
| M54.30 | Sciatica, unspecified side |
| M54.31 | Sciatica, right side |
| M54.32 | Sciatica, left side |
| M54.3 | Sciatica |
Radiculopathy
M54.12 is a specific ICD-10-CM code used for classifying and documenting Radiculopathy in the Cervical Region.
Here are the commonly used ICD-10 chiropractic codes for radiculopathy based on the degree of specificity you can identify.
| Codes | Code Description |
| M54.10 | Radiculopathy – site unspecified |
| M54.11 | Radiculopathy occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M54.12 | Radiculopathy cervical region |
| M54.13 | Radiculopathy – cervicothoracic region |
| M54.14 | Radiculopathy – thoracic region |
| M54.15 | Radiculopathy – thoracolumbar region |
| M54.16 | Radiculopathy – lumbar region |
| M54.17 | Radiculopathy – lumbosacral region |
| M54.18 | Radiculopathy – sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
Synonyms Include
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Cervical nerve root compression
- Cervical nerve root irritation
- Cervical nerve root disorder
- Cervical radicular syndrome
Sprains and Strains
A sprain happens when direct or indirect trauma (such as a fall or a blow to the body) dislocates a joint from its normal position, overstretching or even tearing the supporting ligaments in severe cases. Chronic strains are caused by prolonged, repetitive movement of muscles and tendons.
| Codes | Code Description |
| S73.1 | Sprain of hip |
| S73.10 | Unspecified sprain of hip |
| S73.101 | Unspecified sprain of right hip |
| S73.101A | Unspecified sprain of right hip, initial encounter |
| S73.101D | Unspecified sprain of right hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.101S | Unspecified sprain of right hip, sequela |
| S73.102 | Unspecified sprain of left hip |
| S73.102A | Unspecified sprain of left hip, initial encounter |
| S73.102D | Unspecified sprain of left hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.102S | Unspecified sprain of left hip, sequela |
| S73.109 | Unspecified sprain of unspecified hip |
| S73.109A | Unspecified sprain of unspecified hip, initial encounter |
| S73.109D | Unspecified sprain of unspecified hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.109S | Unspecified sprain of unspecified hip, sequela |
| S73.11 | Iliofemoral ligament sprain of hip |
| S73.19: | Other sprain of hip |
| S73.191 | Other sprain of right hip |
| S73.191A | Other sprain of right hip, initial encounter |
| S73.191D | Other sprain of right hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.191S | Other sprain of right hip, sequela |
| S73.192 | Other sprain of left hip |
| S73.192A | Other sprain of left hip, initial encounter |
| S73.192D | Other sprain of left hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.192S | Other sprain of left hip, sequela |
| S73.199 | Other sprain of unspecified hip |
| S73.199A | Other sprain of unspecified hip, initial encounter |
| S73.199D | Other sprain of unspecified hip, subsequent encounter |
| S73.199S | Other sprain of unspecified hip, sequela |
| S13.4XXA | Sprain of ligaments of cervical spine – initial encounter |
| S23.3XXA | Sprain of ligaments of thoracic spine – initial encounter |
| S33.5XXA – | Sprain of ligaments of lumbar spine – initial encounter |
| S33.6XXA | Sprain of sacroiliac joint – initial encounter |
Spondylosis
Spondylosis is a degenerative condition that may cause potential loss of normal spine structure and function. Making a correct diagnosis of spondylosis involves checking the affected nerves, bones, and muscles, and testing the movement of the affected parts.
Chiropractic ICD-10 codes used to indicate a diagnosis of spondylosis include:
| Codes | Code Description |
| M47 | Spondylosis |
| M47.0 | Anterior spinal and vertebral artery compression syndromes |
| M47.01 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes |
| M47.011 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.012 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, cervical region |
| M47.013 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.014 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, thoracic region |
| M47.015 |
Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, thoracolumbar region
|
| M47.016 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, lumbar region |
| M47.019 | Anterior spinal artery compression syndromes, site unspecified |
| M47.02 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes |
| M47.021 |
Vertebral artery compression syndromes, occipito-atlanto-axial region
|
| M47.022 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes, cervical region |
| M47.029 | Vertebral artery compression syndromes, site unspecified |
| M47.1 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy |
| M47.10 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.11 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.12 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, cervical region |
| M47.13 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.14 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, thoracic region |
| M47.15 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.16 | Other spondylosis with myelopathy, lumbar region |
| M47.2 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy |
| M47.20 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.21 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.22 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, cervical region |
| M47.23 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.24 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, thoracic region |
| M47.25 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.26 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, lumbar region |
| M47.27 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M47.28 | Other spondylosis with radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.8 | Other spondylosis |
| M47.81 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy |
| M47.811 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.812 |
Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, cervical region
|
| M47.813 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.814 |
Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, thoracic region
|
| M47.815 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.816 |
Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, lumbar region
|
| M47.817 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, lumbosacral region |
| M47.818 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.819 | Spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy, site unspecified |
| M47.89 | Other spondylosis |
| M47.891 | Other spondylosis, occipito-atlanto-axial region |
| M47.892 | Other spondylosis, cervical region |
| M47.893 | Other spondylosis, cervicothoracic region |
| M47.894 | Other spondylosis, thoracic region |
| M47.895 | Other spondylosis, thoracolumbar region |
| M47.896 | Other spondylosis, lumbar region |
| M47.897 | Other spondylosis, lumbosacral region |
| M47.898 | Other spondylosis, sacral and sacrococcygeal region |
| M47.899 | Other spondylosis, site unspecified |
| M47.9 | Spondylosis, unspecified |
Conclusion
Chiropractic diagnosis codes used in patient documentation should accurately represent neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) conditions and the specific body regions that require treatment. The primary ICD-10 codes used for the treatment should be in the first position on the claim form. You should also use secondary, tertiary, and quaternary ICD-10 codes to report any additional conditions or regions being treated.
This chiropractic billing cheat sheet, offering commonly used ICD-10 codes, will serve as a valuable resource to streamline your billing and coding processes and ensure accurate documentation. By leveraging these codes effectively, your biller can enhance billing efficiency, facilitate smoother claims processing, and ultimately optimize revenue management.
[Read: The Complete Guide To Chiropractic Billing]
Chiropractic billing is complicated. If you process high volumes of claims on a daily basis, outsourcing your billing process will help you focus on what matters most – your patients. Billing specialists at zHealth will take care of your codes, claims, appeals, denials, A/R, and other billing works. To learn more about how zHealth’s chiropractic billing services can help you get paid faster, request a free billing analysis.
You May Like to Read:
Know The Top Chiropractic CPT Codes That Can Save Your Billing Time
Top 8 Free Chiropractic Medical Billing Resources
Maximize your Revenue with Free Chiropractic Billing Calculator
Chiropractic Billing Codes: Don’t Make These Mistakes
Best Billing Tips Every Chiropractor Needs To Know
