Low back pain ICD-10 code
The ICD-10-CM code for low back pain is M54.50 — low back pain, unspecified. It is billable and valid for submission on a claim. There are 14 related codes, and which one you use depends on what the documentation supports.
Also written as lbp, lumbago, back pain.
The mistake coders make here
M54.5 alone is no longer valid — it was subdivided. M54.50 unspecified, M54.51 vertebrogenic, M54.59 other. Claims still submitted with plain M54.5 reject.
Putting low back pain on a claim? Check the claim’s diagnosis codes free — Excludes1 conflicts, header codes and missing seventh characters, before it goes out.
All ICD-10-CM codes for low back pain
9 of 14 are billable. Green means you can submit it as-is.
| Code | Use it when |
|---|---|
| M54.50 | Low back pain, unspecified |
| M54.51 | Vertebrogenic low back pain |
| M54.59 | Other low back pain |
| M54.5 | Low back painnot billable on its own |
| M51.360 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only |
| M51.369 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain |
| M51.370 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain only |
| M51.379 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region without mention of lumbar back pain or lower extremity pain |
| M51.362 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain |
| M51.372 | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbosacral region with discogenic back pain and lower extremity pain |
| M79.66 | Pain in lower legnot billable on its own |
| R10.A | Pain localized to flanknot billable on its own |
| R10.1 | Pain localized to upper abdomennot billable on its own |
| R10.3 | Pain localized to other parts of lower abdomennot billable on its own |
Once you have the code
- Check the whole claim — Excludes1 conflicts and missing seventh characters, free
- Denial codes explained — what CO-16, CO-97 and the rest actually mean
- Decision guides — walk a chart note to a code, guideline cited
- Everything here that is free — and the one thing no free tool includes