Clinical information
The M62.838 code is used for other muscle spasms that aren’t classified under more specific diagnoses. It applies to spasms in various muscle groups throughout the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.
These muscle spasms may present as involuntary contractions, pain, or cramp-like sensations, sometimes described by patients as a charley horse. Causes can include muscle fatigue, electrolyte imbalance, drug-induced myopathy, alcoholic myopathy, or neurologic disorders like stiff man syndrome.
Diagnosis generally includes a physical examination, review of the patient's medical history, and may involve tests to rule out other disorders or soft tissue conditions. The code applies to various clinical scenarios, from nontraumatic hematoma-related spasms to systemic diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.
M62.838 also excludes alcoholic myopathy (G72.1), drug-induced myopathy (G72.0), cramp and spasm (R25.2), myalgia (M79.1-), and stiff-man syndrome (G25.82). Nontraumatic hematoma of muscle (M79.81) is also excluded. These conditions require separate coding. Proper documentation is essential to distinguish muscle spasm from these excluded conditions.
