M54.81 – Occipital Neuralgia

M54.81 diagnosis code: Occipital Neuralgia

• M54.81 is the ICD-10-CM code that corresponds to a diagnosis of occipital neuralgia.
• It is under the code range M00-M99: Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.
• Occipital neuralgia is characterized by intense, sharp, and jabbing pain in the back of the head and neck and sometimes behind the eyes.
• It's often confused with migraines or other headaches due to similar symptoms.
• The pain typically comes from irritation or injury to the occipital nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord to the scalp.
• Causes may include trauma, tension, or inflammation in the neck muscles.

Is M54.81 billable?

Yes, the M54.81 code is billable and can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.

Clinical information

• Occipital neuralgia often results in a reduced quality of life due to the severity of the pain.
• Physical stress, poor posture, and repetitive neck movements can exacerbate the condition.
• Diagnosis involves a physical examination, patient history, and sometimes, nerve blocks.
• Treatment typically includes pain management through medication, physical therapy, and in severe cases, nerve blocks or surgery.

Synonyms include

• Neuralgia, occipital
• Occipital headache
• C2 neuralgia
• Arnold's neuralgia
• Nervus occipitalis neuralgia

Other ICD-10 codes commonly used for neuralgia

• G50.0: Trigeminal neuralgia
• B02.22: Postherpetic trigeminal neuralgia
• M79.2: Neuralgia and neuritis, unspecified