Chronic lower back pain ICD 10 is something that many patients learn about due to the prevalence of chronic lower back pain in the US population. In fact, chronic lower back pain is one of the most common causes of disability in US adults younger than 45 years old. This condition affects the quality of life of so many people each year.
In addition to this, chronic back pain doesn’t just affect people’s quality of life, but their ability to work as well. 10-20% of US workers have reported living with persistent back pain and back pain is one of the most common reasons for missing work. In 2015, a study found that of 19,441 people, 16.9% of workers with lower back pain and 19% of workers with frequent and severe lower back pain missed at least one full day of work over a period of 3 months.
Clearly, chronic lower back pain is a condition that many people search for a solution to, and chronic lower back pain ICD 10 is something that many patients understandably have questions about. Keep reading to learn more about this code for back pain as well as the most effective way to treat this condition.
What is Chronic Lower Back Pain?
Although this article is focused on chronic lower back pain, this is a subset of lower back pain, which refers to any pain felt in the lower back. This condition can lead to a stiff back, decreased mobility, and difficulty standing up straight or walking. Unfortunately, in many cases, the exact cause of lower back pain can’t be found.
It may be difficult to pinpoint the cause of chronic back pain because there may be causes of this condition. Further, chronic lower back pain happens over time. Many activities slowly affect your spine until one day, you suddenly begin to feel that doesn’t go away. Arthritis is a common cause of chronic back pain, but wear and tear of the spine is often the cause of this pain as well. This wear and tear lead to annular tears, which are one of the most common causes of chronic lower back pain and most spine conditions. You can learn more about that here.
Wear and tear of the spinal discs can be caused by any of the following:
- Overuse from work or sports
- Injuries or fractures
- Surgery
- Other spine conditions, such as herniated discs or degenerative disc disease
There are also a few factors that put some people at higher risk of developing chronic lower back pain. Those with an increased risk of developing back pain include anyone that:
- Is over the age of 30
- Is overweight
- Is pregnant
- Does not have an active lifestyle
- Suffers from stress or depression
- Has a job that requires heavy lifting, bending, and twisting, or that involves whole-body vibration, such as truck driving or using a sandblaster
- Smokes
Acute vs. Chronic Back Pain
As mentioned above, lower back pain is a condition that may be acute or chronic.
Acute lower back pain has a sudden onset and is usually caused by trauma or an injury. Chronic lower back pain usually occurs slowly over time, with pain being reported by patients in regular checkups. Chronic lower back pain may begin as mild pain and eventually build up to being severe.
It’s important to differentiate between acute and chronic lower back pain because these conditions are very different and the way they’re treated differs as well.
Chronic back pain is usually treated with spinal injections, surgery, and/or pain medication, while acute back pain is generally treated with anti-inflammatories. Physicians also tend to recommend that patients return to their normal daily activities as soon as possible when their back pain is acute.
It should be noted that with regard to chronic lower back pain ICD 10, there are no codes distinguishing acute and chronic back pain. The ICD 10 includes the code M54.5 to characterize lower back pain, but no modifiers exist.
Chronic Lower Back Pain ICD 10
First of all, what is the ICD 10? It is the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision and is a globally used diagnostic tool for health management and clinical purposes. It is maintained by the World Health Organization.
Chronic lower back pain ICD 10 coding requires the location and type of pain to be specifically recorded. In most cases, lower back pain is also a symptom of an underlying disease that is only coded when there is no confirmed diagnosis of an underlying condition like spinal disc disorders, traumatic disc fracture, muscle strain, etc.
Treating Chronic Lower Back Pain ICD 10 With the Discseel® Procedure
Leaking caused by annular tears is the true cause of chronic lower back pain. In addition to this, no surgical procedure is designed to stop this leaking or address annular tears, making it ineffective for most patients suffering from chronic lower back pain.
The Discseel Procedure is the most effective way to treat chronic lower back pain caused by annular tears. It was designed to treat back and neck pain caused by spinal disc conditions by directly targeting annular tears. This procedure is also non-surgical and minimally invasive, making the recovery time significantly shorter than that of surgery. In fact, you’ll be able to go home or to your hotel the same day as your procedure. You’ll even be able to be up and walking around within 24 hours! Some patients have also been able to get back to work within a week of the procedure.
Whether your pain is caused by chronic lower back pain, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or sciatica, the Discseel Procedure may be able to help you. Apply for the Discseel Procedure today and find out if you’re a candidate.