M51.360 vs M54.5
M51.360 (Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only) compared with M54.5 (Low back pain), from the official CMS tabular data. Do not report these codes together: the official tabular list marks them Excludes1.
Can these codes be reported together?
No — do not report together. M54.5 carries an Excludes1 note covering M51.360: “intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only (M51.360)”
Sole exception: when the two conditions are documented as unrelated to each other (ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).
Side by side
| M51.360Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only | M54.5Low back pain | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing status | Billable | Non-billable header |
| Classification | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) | M00-M99 — Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue (M00-M99) |
| Definition | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with discogenic back pain only is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code (M51.360). | Low back pain is a non-billable ICD-10-CM category code (M54.5). |
| Includes | Other intervertebral disc degeneration, lumbar region with axial back pain only | — |
Derived from the official CMS ICD-10-CM tabular data (FY2026). Not billing advice; verify sequencing rules for the encounter. All data sources