What is the ICD-10 code for carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is coded G56.0 in ICD-10-CM, the United States edition of the diagnosis code set. G56.0 by itself is not a code you can report. The fifth character sets the side: G56.00 for an unspecified upper limb, G56.01 for the right, G56.02 for the left and G56.03 for both upper limbs ¹. A clinician chooses the code from the medical record, so the side has to be written there.

This page covers the US code set only. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve at the wrist, and the code records that diagnosis for billing and medical records. It does not decide whether the condition is a disability at work. That question is covered on its own page, and the steps for asking for support are in our guide to dictation software as a workplace accommodation, part of our accessibility guides.

G56.0 is a heading, so a reportable code needs the side

The official guidelines say that a code is invalid if it has not been coded to the full number of characters required for that code ². G56.0 has four characters, and each of the four codes below it has five. A record that stops at G56.0 has not named a reportable code, so the clinic should add the side before it bills.

The side in the record picks one of four codes

The descriptions are the official wording from the code list, and the "use when" column follows the coding rules on the side and on bilateral conditions described below.

A missing side means the unspecified code

When the side is missing, the rule is short: "If the side is not identified in the medical record, assign the code for the unspecified side" ³. So G56.00 is the correct code for a diagnosis written without a side. It is accurate but less specific. If you know which wrist is affected, ask the clinician to write it into the record, because the code follows the record and not what you remember telling them.

Both wrists take one code, even across separate visits

G56.03 covers both wrists in a single code, so no separate left and right entries are needed.

The guidelines also cover treatment on each side at different visits. When both sides are treated at separate encounters, the guidelines still use the bilateral code, because the condition still exists on both sides ⁴.

G56.03 was new in FY 2017, so older records can differ

The code set changes every year. The FY 2017 addenda list G56.03 as a new code for carpal tunnel syndrome of bilateral upper limbs ⁵. G56.00, G56.01 and G56.02 are not on that list. A record from before FY 2017 may not have had a single code for both wrists.

The current guidelines cover October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 ⁶. When you check a code, match it to the year of the visit.

Ways to check the code on your own records

1. Confirm the side. Ask your clinic which code it used and whether it matches the wrist or wrists that are affected. G56.00 means no side was written down.
2. Ask for both sides to be recorded. If symptoms affect both hands, ask the clinician to document each side, because the record decides between G56.01, G56.02 and G56.03.
3. Keep the code separate from the disability question. Under the ADA regulation, whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity "requires an individualized assessment" ⁷. A code names the diagnosis, but it does not settle that test. Read is carpal tunnel syndrome a disability for how the test works.
4. Describe the tasks, not only the code. An employer may ask for documentation about a disability and its functional limits when the need is not obvious ⁸. Ask your clinician to write down what you cannot do, such as typing or writing by hand for long periods.

What the code does not tell you

The code does not show how severe the condition is, whether it is work-related or whether a benefit applies. Those are decided under separate rules. Read how carpal tunnel is diagnosed for the clinical tests behind the diagnosis, whether carpal tunnel is an occupational disease for the work-related question, and the VA rating for carpal tunnel if you are a US veteran.

This page explains the coding rules and does not give medical, coding or legal advice for an individual case. A medical coder or your clinic's billing office can confirm the code for a specific visit.