ICD-10 codes for Headache
Headache is coded primarily under R51, R51.9, G44 in the ICD-10-CM (Clinical Modification) classification. Top-level categories include G43 (Migraine); G44 (Other headache syndromes); R51 (Headache). The 2025 ICD-10-CM code set includes 145 codes related to headache, of which 90 are billable (specific enough to appear on a medical claim).
Headache codes in ICD-10-CM split across migraine (G43), other headache syndromes (G44, including tension-type and cluster headaches), and the symptom code R51 (headache, unspecified). R51.9 is the unspecified headache code commonly used when no underlying cause is yet documented.
Total Codes
145
Billable Codes
90
Categories
3
SNOMED CT Concepts
25+
Top 12 Relevant ICD-10 Codes
The codes most commonly assigned to headache, ranked by primary-match status, billable status, and specificity. Tap a code to see its full ICD-10 detail page.
R51.9Headache, unspecified
G43Migraine
G44Other headache syndromes
R51Headache
G44.2Tension-type headache
G44.1Vascular headache, not elsewhere classified
R51.0Headache with orthostatic component, NEC
G43.A0Cyclical vomiting, in migraine, not intractable
G43.A1Cyclical vomiting, in migraine, intractable
G43.B0Ophthalmoplegic migraine, not intractable
G43.B1Ophthalmoplegic migraine, intractable
G43.C0Periodic headache syndromes in chld/adlt, not intractable
Primary Code Categories
These are the top-level ICD-10-CM categories for headache. Click any code to see all specific subcodes within that group.
Billable / Specific Codes (90)
Specific ICD-10-CM codes that can be reported on medical claims for headache.
G43.001Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.009Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus
G43.011Migraine without aura, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.019Migraine w/o aura, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.101Migraine with aura, not intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.109Migraine with aura, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus
G43.111Migraine with aura, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.119Migraine with aura, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.401Hemiplegic migraine, not intractable, w status migrainosus
G43.409Hemiplegic migraine, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus
G43.411Hemiplegic migraine, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.419Hemiplegic migraine, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.501Perst migraine aura w/o cereb infrc, not ntrct, w stat migr
G43.509Perst migrn aura w/o cereb infrc, not ntrct, w/o stat migr
G43.511Perst migraine aura w/o cerebral infrc, ntrct, w stat migr
G43.519Perst migraine aura w/o cerebral infrc, ntrct, w/o stat migr
G43.601Perst migraine aura w cerebral infrc, not ntrct, w stat migr
G43.609Perst migraine aura w cereb infrc, not ntrct, w/o stat migr
G43.611Perst migraine aura w cerebral infrc, ntrct, w stat migr
G43.619Perst migraine aura w cerebral infrc, ntrct, w/o stat migr
G43.701Chronic migraine w/o aura, not intractable, w stat migr
G43.709Chronic migraine w/o aura, not intractable, w/o stat migr
G43.711Chronic migraine w/o aura, intractable, w status migrainosus
G43.719Chronic migraine w/o aura, intractable, w/o stat migr
G43.801Other migraine, not intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.809Other migraine, not intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.811Other migraine, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.819Other migraine, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.821Menstrual migraine, not intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.829Menstrual migraine, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus
G43.831Menstrual migraine, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.839Menstrual migraine, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.901Migraine, unsp, not intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.909Migraine, unsp, not intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.911Migraine, unspecified, intractable, with status migrainosus
G43.919Migraine, unsp, intractable, without status migrainosus
G43.A0Cyclical vomiting, in migraine, not intractable
G43.A1Cyclical vomiting, in migraine, intractable
G43.B0Ophthalmoplegic migraine, not intractable
G43.B1Ophthalmoplegic migraine, intractable
G43.C0Periodic headache syndromes in chld/adlt, not intractable
G43.C1Periodic headache syndromes in child or adult, intractable
G43.D0Abdominal migraine, not intractable
G43.D1Abdominal migraine, intractable
G43.E01Chronic migraine with aura, not intractable, with stat migr
G43.E09Chronic migraine with aura, not ntrct, without stat migr
G43.E11Chronic migraine with aura, intractable, with stat migr
G43.E19Chronic migraine with aura, intractable, without stat migr
G44.001Cluster headache syndrome, unspecified, intractable
G44.009Cluster headache syndrome, unspecified, not intractable
...and 40 more specific codes. Search all codes.
Cross-Mappings to Other Standards
ICD-10-CM codes for headache link to several adjacent terminologies. These mappings are precomputed from official sources (NLM RxNav, UMLS Metathesaurus, SNOMED CT International) and served via AutoICD's reference and translate APIs.
SNOMED CT
25+ concepts mapped from this code group. Concept IDs include 124001000119104, 230467008, 56097005, 425007008, ....
Browse SNOMED CT directoryUMLS Metathesaurus
25+ CUIs indexed. Sample: C0149931, C0338480, C2875144, C3264003, ....
Browse UMLS directoryICD-11
ICD-11 (WHO 2022) classifies many of these conditions under different chapter and stem-code structures. Use the converter to see specific ICD-10 to ICD-11 mappings.
Open ICD-10 to ICD-11 converterFrequently Asked Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for headache?
The primary ICD-10-CM codes for headache are R51, R51.9, G44. Across all sub-categories, 145 codes are grouped under headache, with 90 marked as billable (specific enough for a medical claim).
How many ICD-10 codes are there for headache?
There are 145 ICD-10-CM codes related to headache. Of these, 90 are billable specific codes and 55 are non-billable header categories that organize the specific codes underneath them. Header codes cannot be reported on a claim by themselves.
Is there a billable ICD-10 code for headache?
Yes. 90 of the 145 ICD-10-CM codes for headache are billable. Common examples include G43.001 (Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, with status migrainosus); G43.009 (Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus); G43.011 (Migraine without aura, intractable, with status migrainosus). Code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation.
Which headache ICD-10 code should I use for billing?
The most commonly used billable codes for headache include: G43.001 (Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, with status migrainosus); G43.009 (Migraine w/o aura, not intractable, w/o status migrainosus); G43.011 (Migraine without aura, intractable, with status migrainosus). The correct code depends on the documented clinical presentation, including any complications, episode (acute / chronic), and laterality where applicable. Always code to the highest level of specificity supported by the clinical documentation.
Is R51 a billable ICD-10 code?
No, R51 (Headache) is a non-billable header code. You need to use a more specific child code for billing purposes.
What are the SNOMED CT concepts for headache?
The ICD-10 codes for headache map to at least 25 SNOMED CT concepts. Examples of SNOMED CT concept IDs in this group include 124001000119104, 230467008, 56097005, 425007008, 423279000. SNOMED CT is a clinical terminology used in electronic health records; AutoICD's coding API returns SNOMED CT IDs alongside each ICD-10 code via the include_snomed=true flag.
What UMLS Concept Unique Identifiers (CUIs) cover headache?
The ICD-10 codes for headache are linked to at least 25 UMLS CUIs in the National Library of Medicine's Metathesaurus. Sample CUIs include C0149931, C0338480, C2875144, C3264003, C2875145. UMLS CUIs unify the same concept across SNOMED CT, ICD-10, ICD-11, RxNorm, MeSH, and dozens of other source vocabularies.
What are other names for headache in ICD-10?
Headache may also be referred to as: headache, tension headache, cephalgia, head pain. The same ICD-10-CM codes apply regardless of which term appears in the clinical documentation. Synonyms are surfaced by AutoICD's NER pass and mapped to the canonical ICD-10 family above.
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