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2025 CPT code 64646

Chemodenervation of trunk muscle(s); 1-5 muscle(s).

The injection of other therapeutic agents (e.g., corticosteroids) is included in 64600-64681 and should not be reported separately. Modifier -TC can be appended for technical component only, and modifier -26 can be used if professional component alone (physician does not own their EMG machine).Do not report a destruction code when using non-destructive therapies (e.g., pulsed radiofrequency), use 64999 instead. The supply of the chemodenervation agent is reported separately with appropriate HCPCS code (e.g., J0585 for Botulinum toxin type A).Trunk muscles are erector spinae, obliques, paraspinal, rectus abdominus.Other muscles are considered head, neck, or extremity.

Modifiers 22 (Increased Procedural Services), 51 (Multiple Procedures), 59 (Distinct Procedural Service), 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, and 79 (for unplanned or related procedures during the postoperative period), among others, may apply depending on the specific circumstances.

Medical necessity for 64646 must be established by documenting the patient's diagnosis (e.g., spasms, dystonia), failed conservative treatments, and the expected improvement in function and pain relief from the procedure.

The physician is responsible for preparing the patient, administering anesthesia, selecting the appropriate chemodenervating agent (e.g., botulinum toxin, atropine), and injecting it accurately into the targeted trunk muscles (1-5 muscles). The procedure aims to relieve pain and spasms by interrupting nerve signals to the muscles.

IMPORTANT:For chemodenervation of 6 or more trunk muscles, use 64647.For chemodenervation of extremities, see codes 64642-64645.For other types of nerve destruction, use 64999.Do not report diagnostic/therapeutic injections separately.

In simple words: A doctor injects a medicine into a few muscles in your torso (back, chest, and abdomen) to help relieve muscle pain and spasms. This medicine temporarily paralyzes the muscles to help them relax.

This code represents the injection of a chemodenervating agent, such as botulinum toxin, into one to five trunk muscles to treat pain and spasms. The procedure involves preparing the patient, administering anesthesia, and then injecting the agent into the targeted muscles to disrupt nerve signals and induce paralysis, thereby alleviating symptoms.

Example 1: A patient with back spasms affecting the erector spinae muscles receives injections in three locations using 64646., A patient suffering from abdominal wall spasms due to a neuromuscular disorder receives injections in two abdominal muscles, reported with 64646., A patient experiencing intercostal muscle spasms following a chest injury has botulinum toxin injected into four affected muscles using 64646.

Documentation should include details about the patient's condition, the specific trunk muscles injected, the chemodenervating agent used, the dosage, the injection sites, the response to the treatment, and any complications encountered.Supporting documentation such as EMG findings may also be included.

** Report only one of 64646 or 64647 per session, and ensure appropriate coding for the chemodenervation agent supplied.The iFrameAI product may provide more up-to-date and jurisdiction-specific details on billing and coding guidelines.

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