Advanced Search

Revenue Cycle Insider

ICD-10-CM Coding:

Look to Cause When Selecting Dx for Lower Back Pain

Published on Mon Jun 23, 2025

Question: A patient came to the office complaining of lower back pain. The physician documented that the patient had strained a tendon in their lower back. Do I document the symptom that brought them to the encounter or the documented cause? Oklahoma Subscriber Answer: Always code to the documentation — and query if the documentation doesn’t tell you what you [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles of

June 2025

View All