Arrue Campos, William

Applicant William Arrue Campos sustained a stipulated specific industrial back injury on August 20, 2021. His primary treating physician requested lumbar facet blocks at L5-S1, post-injection therapy, and physical therapy, which UR denied as not medically necessary, and IMR upheld the denial. The WCJ denied applicant's IMR appeal, finding no plainly erroneous finding of fact under Labor Code section 4610.6(h)(5). On reconsideration, applicant argued the IMR reviewer ignored medical records and x-ray findings and failed to apply the MTUS Chronic Pain Guidelines. The WCAB denied reconsideration, holding that the IMR reviewer reviewed the relevant records, that the link between facet arthropathy and arthritic pain is a matter of expert medical opinion rather than ordinary knowledge, and that selecting which MTUS guidelines apply is also a matter of expert medical judgment.