M54.2: Cervicalgia
Billable ICD-10-CM code, FY2027
What ICD-10-CM says
Excludes1 (never coded with M54.2)
- cervicalgia due to intervertebral cervical disc disorder (M50.-)
Notes at M54, Dorsalgia (they apply to every code under it)
Excludes1 (never coded with M54.2)
- psychogenic dorsalgia (F45.41)
What M54.2 covers
M54.2 is neck pain without a more specific documented cause. Cervicalgia is simply the clinical term for pain in the neck region. It is a complete four-character code.
It is used widely in primary care, physical therapy and chiropractic. Neck pain with nerve root symptoms down the arm is M54.12 (cervical radiculopathy), and neck pain from degenerative change in the joints is M47.812 (cervical spondylosis without myelopathy or radiculopathy). Thoracic and low back pain have their own codes, M54.6 and M54.5-.
Billing and coding notes
M54.2 has an excludes1 note for cervicalgia due to a cervical disc disorder (M50.-). When the provider ties the neck pain to a disc, code the M50 disc code and not M54.2. A neck strain from an injury is coded in chapter 19 (S16.1-, with a seventh character), not as cervicalgia.
The parent category M54 also excludes psychogenic dorsalgia (F45.41). Like other symptom codes, M54.2 is dropped once a definitive diagnosis accounts for the pain.
Related codes under M54
Questions about M54.2
Is M54.2 billable?
Yes. M54.2 is a complete code and needs no further characters.
What is the difference between M54.2 and M54.12?
M54.2 is neck pain. M54.12 is cervical radiculopathy, where a nerve root is irritated, often with arm pain, numbness or weakness. Use M54.12 when the provider documents radiculopathy.
ICD-10-CM in CloudMedico
In CloudMedico, a visit's diagnoses come from the current ICD-10-CM list. For US practices, the visit flags a code that isn't billable on its date, and a superbill made from an invoice carries the visit's diagnoses.
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