Eli's Rehab Report

Reader Questions:

Paravertebral Nerve Block

Question: What is the most accurate code for a paravertebral nerve block for relieving severe radiating low back pain (ICD-9 724.2 )?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Until the end of 2001, coders relied on 64440 for paravertebral nerve blocks, but that code was deleted with the introduction of CPT 2002.

CPT directs coders to report either 64479 (Injection, anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural; cervical or thoracic, single level) or 64483 (Injection, anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural; lumbar or sacral, single level) for a paravertebral nerve block, depending on which spinal level is injected.

 

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