While cervical disc pathology can unquestionably produce radiculopathy, many patients presenting with arm pain, paresthesia or perceived weakness do not exhibit the clinical behavior of true nerve-root compromise. In these cases, failure to differentiate the primary pain generator may lead to unnecessary spinal injections, nerve ablation procedures or surgical consultation despite limited likelihood of benefit.
Ask the Billing Expert
Samuel A. Collins
Samuel A. Collins is an expert in chiropractic insurance billing for the H.J. Ross Network, a consulting group for doctors on billing and collection for insurance claims. His background is in the chiropractic profession, where he supervised a high-volume chiropractic clinic for 16 years. You are encouraged to submit billing questions to Mr. Collins at sam@hjrossnetwork.com. Your question may be the subject of a future column.