Many patients learn about chronic lower back pain ICD 10 due to the prevalence of chronic back pain among US adults. Chronic lower back pain is actually one of the most common causes of disability in adults younger than 45 years old. This is a condition that is incredibly common but can have very devastating effects on a person’s quality of life.
Back pain also keeps many adults from working, as it’s one of the most common reasons cited for missing work. In fact, as many as 10-20% of working-age US adults report living with persistent back pain. A 2015 study of 19,441 people found that 16.9% had lower back pain. Of this 16.9%, 19% had frequent and severe lower back pain, leading to at least one full day of missed work within a period of 3 months.
It’s very clear that chronic lower back pain is a condition that many people are searching for a solution to. In addition to this, 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 leads 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
Earlier in this article, we mentioned that leaking caused by annular tears is most often the cause of chronic lower back pain. Unfortunately, no surgical procedure is designed to stop leaking or address annular tears in any way. This makes surgery ineffective for most patients suffering from chronic lower back pain.
The Discseel Procedure, developed by Dr. Pauza, provides the most effective way to treat chronic lower back pain caused by annular tears. It was specifically designed to treat annular tears, which effectively treats back and neck pain caused by spinal disc issues. This procedure is non-surgical and minimally invasive, so recovering from this procedure is significantly quicker than recovering from surgery. You’ll actually be able to go home or to your hotel the same day as your procedure! You can even be up and walking within 24 hours and some patients have been able to get back to work within a week of the procedure.
Whatever condition is causing your back or neck pain, such as chronic lower back pain, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, or sciatica, Dr. Pauza’s Discseel Procedure may be able to help you. Apply for the Discseel Procedure today and find out if you’re a candidate.
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