R52 — Pain, unspecified
Is R52 billable?
Yes, but R52 is an unspecified code. R52 is a valid, billable ICD-10-CM code for encounters from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. However, R52 is an unspecified or catch-all code. Payers apply additional scrutiny to unspecified codes and many deny them when the medical record supports a more specific option, so check the documentation before selecting R52.
R52 at a glance
| Code | R52 |
|---|---|
| Description | Pain, unspecified |
| Billable | Yes |
| Code set | ICD-10-CM FY2027 |
| Valid for encounters | October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 |
Which MS-DRGs does R52 group to?
R52 sits in MDC 23 and helps define the logic of 2 MS-DRGs (version 44, FY2027). Which one a stay actually groups to also depends on procedures and secondary diagnoses.
- 947Signs and Symptoms with MCCmedical
- 948Signs and Symptoms without MCCmedical
How is R52 listed in the Alphabetic Index?
These are the routes through the Alphabetic Index that lead to R52. They show the wording a clinician may have documented, which often differs from the Tabular description.
- Pain (s)
- Pain › acute (s)
- Pain › generalized NOS (s)
Excludes1 — never code together
The conditions below can never be reported together with R52 on the same claim. An Excludes1 note means the two conditions cannot occur in the same patient, so reporting both is a coding error.
- acute and chronic pain, not elsewhere classified (G89.-)
- localized pain, unspecified type - code to pain by site, such as:
- abdomen pain (R10.-)
- back pain (M54.9)
- breast pain (N64.4)
- chest pain (R07.1-R07.9)
- ear pain (H92.0-)
- eye pain (H57.1)
- headache (R51.9)
- joint pain (M25.5-)
- limb pain (M79.6-)
- lumbar region pain (M54.5-)
- pelvic and perineal pain (R10.2-)
- shoulder pain (M25.51-)
- spine pain (M54.-)
- throat pain (R07.0)
- tongue pain (K14.6)
- tooth pain (K08.8)
- renal colic (N23)
- pain disorders exclusively related to psychological factors (F45.41)
Inclusion terms
Alternative wording in documentation that is classified to R52.
- Acute pain NOS
- Generalized pain NOS
- Pain NOS
Excludes2 — not included here — inherited from Chapter 18
The conditions below are not part of R52, but a patient may have both at the same time. When documentation supports it, R52 and the excluded code may both be reported.
How long has R52 existed?
R52 has been in ICD-10-CM since at least FY2016, the earliest fiscal year on record here.
Derived from the official order files for FY2016–FY2026. FY2017 and FY2020 publish no order file, so those years are not covered.
Which codes are confused with R52?
ICD-10-CM declares these codes mutually exclusive with R52 — exactly one of each pair can be correct for a given encounter.