DWD 81.08(1)(b)(b) A health care provider shall perform and document an appropriate history and physical examination. Based on the history and physical examination, a health care provider shall assign the patient at each visit to the appropriate clinical category in subds. 1. to 3. A health care provider shall document the diagnosis in the medical record. For the purposes of subds. 2. and 3., “radicular pain” means pain radiating in a dermatomal distribution around the chest or abdomen. This section does not apply to fractures of the thoracic spine or thoracic back pain due to an infectious, immunologic, metabolic, endocrine, neurologic, visceral, or neoplastic disease process.

DWD 81.08(1)(b)1.1. Regional thoracic back pain includes the diagnoses of thoracic strain, sprain, myofascial syndrome, musculoligamentous injury, soft tissue injury, and any other diagnosis for pain believed to originate in the discs, ligaments, muscles, or other soft tissues of the thoracic spine and that affects the thoracic region, including ICD-9-CM codes 720 to 720.9, 721 to 721.0, 721.5 to 721.90, 722.3 to 722.30, 722.4, 722.6, 722.9 to 722.91, 723 to 723.3, 723.5 to 723.9, 724.5, 724.8, 724.9, 732.0, 737 to 737.9, 738.4, 738.5, 739.1, 756.1 to 756.19, 847 to 847.0, 920, 922.3, 925, and 926.1 to 926.12.

DWD 81.08(1)(b)2.2. Radicular pain, with or without regional thoracic back pain, includes the diagnoses of thoracic radiculopathy, radiculitis, or neuritis; displacement or herniation of intervertebral disc with radiculopathy, radiculitis, or neuritis; spinal stenosis with radiculopathy, radiculitis, or neuritis; and any other diagnoses for pain believed to originate with irritation of a nerve root in the thoracic spine, including ICD-9-CM codes 721.1, 721.91, 722 to 722.0, 722.2, 722.7 to 722.71, 723.4, and 724 to 724.00.

DWD 81.08(1)(b)3.3. Thoracic compressive myelopathy, with or without radicular pain, is a condition characterized by weakness and spasticity in one or both legs and associated with any of the following: exaggerated reflexes, an extensor plantar response, bowel or bladder dysfunction, sensory ataxia, or bilateral sensory changes.

DWD 81.08(1)(c)(c) A health care provider may not order laboratory tests in the evaluation of a patient with regional thoracic back pain, or radicular pain, except for any of the following:

DWD 81.08(1)(c)1.1. When a patient’s history, age, or examination suggests infection, metabolic-endocrinologic disorders, tumorous conditions, systemic musculoskeletal disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.

DWD 81.08(1)(d)(d) Laboratory tests may be ordered at any time a health care provider suspects any of the conditions specified in par. (c), but a health care provider shall justify the need for the tests ordered with clear documentation of the indications.

DWD 81.08(1)(e)(e) Medical imaging evaluation of the thoracic spine shall be based on the findings of the history and physical examination and may not be ordered prior to a health care provider’s clinical evaluation of the patient. Medical imaging may not be performed as a routine procedure and shall comply with the guidelines in s. DWD 81.05. A health care provider shall document the appropriate indications for any medical imaging studies obtained.

DWD 81.08(1)(f)(f) A health care provider may not order electromyography and nerve conduction studies for regional thoracic back pain and radicular pain under par. (b) 1. to 3.

DWD 81.08(1)(g)(g) A health care provider may not order the use of any of the following procedures or tests for the diagnosis of any of the clinical categories in par. (b) 1. to 3.:

DWD 81.08(1)(h)(h) A health care provider may not order computerized range of motion or strength measuring tests during the period of initial nonsurgical care, but may order these tests during a period of chronic management when used in conjunction with a computerized exercise program, work hardening program, or work conditioning program. During the period of initial nonoperative care computerized range of motion or strength testing may be performed but shall be done in conjunction with an office visit with a health care provider’s evaluation or treatment, or physical or occupational therapy evaluation or treatment.

DWD 81.08(1)(i)(i) A health care provider may order personality or psychological evaluations for evaluating patients who continue to have problems despite appropriate care. A treating health care provider may perform this evaluation or may refer the patient for consultation with another health care provider in order to obtain a psychological evaluation. These evaluations may be used to assess the patient for a number of psychological conditions that may interfere with recovery from the injury. Since more than one of these psychological conditions may be present in a given case, a health care provider performing the evaluation shall consider all of the following:

DWD 81.08(1)(i)2.2. Does the patient exhibit an emotional reaction to the injury, such as depression, fear, or anger, that is interfering with recovery?