2027 ICD-10-CM Changes
Billing / Fees / Insurance

2027 ICD-10-CM Changes: Looking at the Update Through a Chiropractic Lens

2027 Code Changes Take Effect Oct. 1, 2026

The annual ICD-10 update, which takes effect Oct. 1 every year, is a good reminder that diagnosis selection is not simply about finding a code that will get the claim paid. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting direct providers to report the condition or reason for the encounter that is chiefly responsible for the services provided and to code to the highest level of specificity supported by the medical record. Learn what the 2027 code updates mean for DCs before the October 2026 deadline.

Samuel A. Collins
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Education & Seminars  |  DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
CCE to Withdraw From Federal Recognition, Pursue Opportunity for Enhanced Innovation
CCE to Withdraw From Federal Recognition, Pursue Opportunity for Enhanced Innovation

Like education itself, accreditation continues to evolve. Proposed requirements from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), which recognizes accrediting agencies, are accelerating that change and creating uncertainty. After careful consideration, CCE concluded that these requirements would impose substantial burdens while providing limited to no additional benefit to chiropractic programs, students or the public; and has voted to begin the necessary steps for withdrawing from the USDE recognition process.

Craig S. Little, EdD
Chronic / Acute Conditions
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Treating Fascia, Relieving Severe Musculoskeletal Problems

Fascia is a collagen‑ and elastin‑rich tissue that combines tensile strength with elasticity and possesses its own contractile behavior. When muscle activity begins, mechanoreceptors such as muscle spindles relay rapid feedback to the central nervous system, and this requires fascia with healthy viscosity so that spindle cells, Pacini, and Ruffini receptors can deform and glide normally.

Jeffrey Tucker, DC, DACRB
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Diagnosis & Diagnostic Equip
When Radiculopathy Isn’t Radiculopathy: A Clinical Series (Pt. 4)
Supscapularis Syndrome
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Subscapularis syndrome is introduced here as a clinically relevant and underrecognized source of upper-extremity pseudo-radiculopathy. Similar to piriformis syndrome, it reflects a functional disorder in which deep stabilizing muscle dysfunction – rather than primary nerve-root compression – drives symptoms that mimic radiculopathy.

Ken Kaufman, DC
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Stroke Timing and Vertebral Artery Dissection: What the Window Suggests

Chronology: An Important Factor Dispelling a Causal Relationship With Cervical Manipulation

For an unsuspecting consumer, medical doctor or attorney, the sequence may appear obvious: “I had my neck adjusted and then had a stroke.” A physician encountering the case after the fact may see the same temporal relationship. And in a legal proceeding, the fact that treatment preceded the stroke can become a particularly powerful narrative. But a chronological reconstruction can tell a very different story.

John T. Salvucci, Esq.
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Your Practice / Business  |  DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Branding: Is It Necessary for Your Chiropractic Practice?
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Branding is crucial for attracting new patients as a chiropractor because it establishes a strong and memorable identity that builds trust and resonates with potential patients. According to a study by Nielsen, 59% of consumers prefer to buy products and services from familiar brands they trust.

Carolyn KreuzKamp, BS, MBA
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While excessive pronation is almost always blamed for the development of functional hallux limitus, a frequently overlooked cause of this condition occurs when the flexor hallucis longus tendon gets trapped in the retrotalar pulley located behind the medial malleolus. This condition is particularly common in classical ballet dancers, gymnasts, figure skaters, and soccer players.

Thomas Michaud, DC
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As you know, chiropractic physicians are trained to evaluate and manage patients with cervicogenic headaches. Yet we may become overconfident with our diagnosis and misdiagnose the condition if we are not inquisitive during our initial patient interview. This putative case report should be most interesting to our chiropractic specialists, especially those who have earned a DABCI.

James Lehman, DC, DIANM
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Charles Annunziata, DC, CFMP