| 1 | DVBCWNS3 ;BPOIFO/ESW - SPINE WKS TEXT - 1 ; 10/8/02 10:52am
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| 2 |  ;;2.7;AMIE;**46**;Apr 10, 1995
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| 3 |  ;Per VHA Directive 10-92-142, this routine should not be modified
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| 4 |  ;
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| 5 | TXT ;
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| 6 |  ;;
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| 7 |  ;;A. Review of Medical Records: Report whether done or not.
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| 8 |  ;;
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| 9 |  ;;
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| 10 |  ;;B. Present Medical History (Subjective Complaints):
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| 11 |  ;;
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| 12 |  ;;     1. Report complaints of pain (including any radiation), stiffness,
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| 13 |  ;;        weakness, etc.
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| 14 |  ;;        a. Onset
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| 15 |  ;;        b. Location and distribution
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| 16 |  ;;        c. Duration
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| 17 |  ;;        d. Characteristics, quality, description
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| 18 |  ;;        e. Intensity
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| 19 |  ;;     2. Describe treatment - type, dose, frequency, response, side effects.
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| 20 |  ;;     3. If there are periods of flare-up:
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| 21 |  ;;            a.  State their severity, frequency, and duration.
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| 22 |  ;;            b.  Name the precipitating and alleviating factors.
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| 23 |  ;;            c.  Describe any additional limitation of motion or functional
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| 24 |  ;;                impairment during the flare-up.
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| 25 |  ;;     4. Describe associated features or symptoms (e.g., weight loss, fevers,
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| 26 |  ;;        malaise, dizziness, visual disturbances, numbness, weakness, bladder
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| 27 |  ;;        complaints, bowel complaints, erectile dysfunction).
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| 28 |  ;;     5. Describe walking and assistive devices.
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| 29 |  ;;            a.  Walk unaided?  Use of a cane, crutches, walker?
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| 30 |  ;;            b.  Use of orthosis (brace)?
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| 31 |  ;;            c.  How far and how long can the veteran walk?
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| 32 |  ;;            d.  Unsteadiness?  Falls?
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| 33 |  ;;     6. Describe details of any trauma or injury, including dates,
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| 34 |  ;;        and direction and magnitude of forces.
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| 35 |  ;;     7. Describe details of any surgery, including dates.
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| 36 |  ;;     8. Functional Assessment - Describe effects of the condition(s) on
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| 37 |  ;;        the veteran's mobility (e.g., walking, transfers, bed activities),
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| 38 |  ;;        activities of daily living (i.e., eating, grooming, bathing,
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| 39 |  ;;        toileting, dressing), usual occupation, recreational activities,
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| 40 |  ;;        driving.
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| 41 |  ;;
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| 42 |  ;;C. Physical Examination (Objective Findings):
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| 43 |  ;;
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| 44 |  ;;Address each of the following as appropriate to the condition being examined and
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| 45 |  ;;fully describe current findings:
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| 46 |  ;;     1. Inspection:  spine, limbs, posture and gait, position of the head,
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| 47 |  ;;        curvatures of the spine, symmetry in appearance, symmetry and rhythm of
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| 48 |  ;;        spinal motion.
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| 49 |  ;;     2. Range of motion
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| 50 |  ;;        a. Using a goniometer, measure the range of motion, and show
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| 51 |  ;;           each measured range of motion (flexion, extension, etc.)
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| 52 |  ;;           separately rather than as a continuum.  Measure active range of
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| 53 |  ;;           motion, and passive range of motion if active range of motion
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| 54 |  ;;           is not normal.
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| 55 |  ;;        b. State the normal range of motion when providing spine range
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| 56 |  ;;           of motion. For example, state forward flexion of the lumbar spine
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| 57 |  ;;           is 80 out of 90 degrees, and backward extension is 20 out of 35
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| 58 |  ;;           degrees. (See Chapter 11 of Clinician's Guide for more detailed
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| 59 |  ;;           discussion of spine range of motion.)
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| 60 |  ;;        c. If the range of motion is affected by factors other than
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| 61 |  ;;           spinal injury or disease, such as the claimant's body habitus,
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| 62 |  ;;           provide an estimated normal range of motion for that particular
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| 63 |  ;;           individual.
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| 64 |  ;;        d. If the spine is painful on motion, state at what point in
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| 65 |  ;;           the range of motion pain begins and ends.
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| 66 |  ;;        e. State to what extent (if any), expressed in degrees if
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| 67 |  ;;           possible, the range of motion is  a d d i t i o n a l l y
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| 68 |  ;;           l i m i t e d  by pain, fatigue, weakness, or lack of endurance
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| 69 |  ;;           following repetitive use or during flare-ups.
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| 70 |  ;;           If more than one of these
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| 71 |  ;;           If more than one of these is present, state, if possible, which
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| 72 |  ;;           has the major functional impact.
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| 73 |  ;;     3. Describe objective evidence of painful motion, spasm, weakness,
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| 74 |  ;;        tenderness, etc.
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| 75 |  ;;     4. Describe any postural abnormalities, fixed deformity (ankylosis), or
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| 76 |  ;;        abnormality of musculature of back.
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| 77 |  ;;     5. Neurological examination
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| 78 |  ;;           a. Sensory examination, to include sacral segments.
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| 79 |  ;;           b. Motor examination (atrophy, circumferential measurements, tone,
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| 80 |  ;;              and strength).
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| 81 |  ;;           c. Reflexes (deep tendon, cutaneous, and pathologic).
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| 82 |  ;;           d. Rectal examination (sensation, tone, volitional control,
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| 83 |  ;;              and reflexes).
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| 84 |  ;;           e. Lasegue's sign.
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| 85 |  ;;           f. If the neurologic effects are not encompassed by this part
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| 86 |  ;;              of the examination (e.g., if there are bladder problems),
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| 87 |  ;;              follow appropriate worksheet for the body system affected.
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| 88 |  ;;     6. For vertebral fractures, report the percentage of loss of height, if any,
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| 89 |  ;;        of the vertebral body.
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| 90 |  ;;     7. Non-organic physical signs (e.g., Waddell tests, others).
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| 91 |  ;;
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| 92 |  ;;D. For intervertebral disc syndrome
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| 93 |  ;;
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| 94 |  ;;     1. Conduct and report a separate history and physical examination for
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| 95 |  ;;        each segment of the spine (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) affected by
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| 96 |  ;;        disc disease. 
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| 97 |  ;;     2. Conduct a complete history and physical examination of each affected
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| 98 |  ;;        spinal segment, whether or not there has been surgery, as described
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| 99 |  ;;        above under B and C.
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| 100 |  ;;     3. Conduct a thorough neurologic history and examination, as described
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| 101 |  ;;        in C5, of all areas innervated by each affected spinal segment.
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| 102 |  ;;        Specify the peripheral nerve(s) affected. Include an evaluation of
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| 103 |  ;;        effects, if any, on bowel or bladder functioning.  
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| 104 |  ;;     4. Describe as precisely as possible, in number of days, the duration
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| 105 |  ;;        of each incapacitating episode during the past 12-month period.
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| 106 |  ;;        An incapacitating episode, for disability evaluation purposes,
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| 107 |  ;;        is a period of acute signs and symptoms due to intervertebral disk
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| 108 |  ;;        syndrome that requires bed rest prescribed by a physician and
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| 109 |  ;;        treatment by a physician. 
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| 110 |  ;;
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| 111 |  ;;E. Diagnostic and Clinical Tests:
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| 112 |  ;;
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| 113 |  ;;     1. Imaging studies, when indicated.  
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| 114 |  ;;     2. Electrodiagnostic tests, when indicated.
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| 115 |  ;;     3. Clinical laboratory tests, when indicated.
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| 116 |  ;;     4. Isotope scans, when indicated.
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| 117 |  ;;     5. Include results of all diagnostic and clinical tests conducted
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| 118 |  ;;        in the examination report.
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| 119 |  ;;
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| 120 |  ;;F. Diagnosis:
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| 121 |  ;;
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| 122 |  ;;
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| 123 |  ;;Signature:                               Date:
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| 124 |  ;;END
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