# Acute vs chronic pain



## maudys (Jul 9, 2009)

If a patient has chronic neck and back pain, and the physician indicates that it is "exacerbated" on this encounter, can I assign acute pain?


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## 007CPC (Jul 12, 2009)

maudys said:


> If a patient has chronic neck and back pain, and the physician indicates that it is "exacerbated" on this encounter, can I assign acute pain?



I wouldn't.  Try to only code what is documented.


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## RNCPC0709 (Jul 12, 2009)

An exacerbation of chronic pain wouldn't mean that the patient now has acute pain dx, only that the chronic pain issue is worse d/t the exacerbation. I would code this as chronic pain based on the info given in your post.

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PB


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## maudys (Jul 13, 2009)

what if the physician documents "chronic pain with acute flare up"?  I know, I'm grasping.


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## hthompson (Jan 14, 2010)

I like this question and was hoping more eyes could look at it and respond?

My MD wrote Acute flare-up of Chronic Back Pain

Still chronic back pain only?


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## Walker22 (Jan 14, 2010)

Still chronic back pain only.


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