2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code R26.81Unsteadiness on feet

ICD-10-CM Codes›R00–R99›R25-R29›R26

ICD-10-CM R26.81
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

R26.81 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for unsteadiness on feet. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 91 through 93. As a symptom code, it should not be used as a principal diagnosis once a related definitive diagnosis has been established. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Nervous system signs and symptoms.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
R26.81
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Unsteadiness on feet
Short Description
Unsteadiness on feet
Same as the full description in the CMS dataset.
Parent Code
R26.8
Other abnormalities of gait and mobility

Code Classification

ChapterR00–R99Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified
SectionR25-R29Symptoms and signs involving the nervous and musculoskeletal systems
CategoryR26Abnormalities of gait and mobility
This CodeR26.81Unsteadiness on feet

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Difficulty balancing
  • Difficulty balancing when standing
  • Does not balance
  • Does not balance when standing
  • Feels as though will fall
  • Finding of general balance
  • Finding of turning balance when walking
  • Keeps losing balance
  • Postural sway when standing
  • Unable to balance
  • Unable to balance when standing
  • Unable to balance when standing with both feet apart
  • Unable to balance when standing with both feet in semi tandem stance
  • Unable to balance when standing with both feet in tandem stance
  • Unable to balance when standing with both feet together
  • Unsteadiness present
  • Unsteady when standing
  • Unsteady when turning

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to R26.81: its own notes plus those printed at R26 and Chapter 18. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From R26 Abnormalities of gait and mobility applies to 6 codes
  • ataxia NOS (R27.0)
  • hereditary ataxia (G11.-)
  • locomotor (syphilitic) ataxia (A52.11)
  • immobility syndrome (paraplegic) (M62.3)

Excludes2

Not included here: the excluded condition is not part of this code, but a patient may have both, so both codes may be reported.

From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • abnormal findings on antenatal screening of mother (O28.-)
  • certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (P04-P96)
  • signs and symptoms classified in the body system chapters
  • signs and symptoms of breast (N63, N64.5)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 18 (R00-R99) Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified applies to 774 codes
  • This chapter includes symptoms, signs, abnormal results of clinical or other investigative procedures, and ill-defined conditions regarding which no diagnosis classifiable elsewhere is recorded.
  • Signs and symptoms that point rather definitely to a given diagnosis have been assigned to a category in other chapters of the classification. In general, categories in this chapter include the less well-defined conditions and symptoms that, without the necessary study of the case to establish a final diagnosis, point perhaps equally to two or more diseases or to two or more systems of the body. Practically all categories in the chapter could be designated 'not otherwise specified', 'unknown etiology' or 'transient'. The Alphabetical Index should be consulted to determine which symptoms and signs are to be allocated here and which to other chapters. The residual subcategories, numbered .8, are generally provided for other relevant symptoms that cannot be allocated elsewhere in the classification.
  • The conditions and signs or symptoms included in categories R00-R94 consist of:
  • (a) cases for which no more specific diagnosis can be made even after all the facts bearing on the case have been investigated;
  • (b) signs or symptoms existing at the time of initial encounter that proved to be transient and whose causes could not be determined;
  • (c) provisional diagnosis in a patient who failed to return for further investigation or care;
  • (d) cases referred elsewhere for investigation or treatment before the diagnosis was made;
  • (e) cases in which a more precise diagnosis was not available for any other reason;
  • (f) certain symptoms, for which supplementary information is provided, that represent important problems in medical care in their own right.

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name R26.81, its category, or a range that includes it.

Excludes1 1

These codes carry an Excludes1 note naming R26.81: they are not reported together with it, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

  • F82 Specific developmental disorder of motor function
    abnormalities of gait and mobility (R26.-) names R26.-, which includes this code

Excludes2 2

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming R26.81: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • R26.2 Difficulty in walking, not elsewhere classified
    unsteadiness on feet (R26.81)
  • M25 Other joint disorder, not elsewhere classified
    abnormality of gait and mobility (R26.-) names R26.-, which includes this code

Index to Diseases and InjuriesGuidance

Alphabetical index entries that point to this code.

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR SYM010
Nervous system signs and symptoms
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Patient EducationClinical

Walking Problems

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The full article covers:

  • What are walking problems?
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Read the full article at MedlinePlus

Courtesy of MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Convert R26.81 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
781.2 Abnormality of gait
Approximate The match is approximate rather than exact.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About R26.81Overview

What is the ICD-10 code for unsteadiness on feet?

The ICD-10-CM code for unsteadiness on feet is R26.81 (sometimes written as R2681). It is billable on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Is R26.81 (Other abnormalities of gait and mobility) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report unsteadiness on feet on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does R26.81 group to?

When unsteadiness on feet is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 91, 92, 93, with relative weights from 0.7783 to 1.7050 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Can R26.81 be a principal diagnosis?

Use it with care. This is a symptom code, so once a definitive diagnosis explaining the unsteadiness on feet is established, that condition takes the principal position instead.

Can R26.81 be reported with R27.0?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at R26, which applies to R26.81, lists "ataxia NOS (R27.0)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).