Here is a good explanation: International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
Basically, the ICD is an international classification of diseases, and the "9" or "10" designations mean that each one is the 9th or 10th or its kind. The CM means "clinical modification"
As far as their use--
"On July 31, 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule finalizing October 1, 2015 as the new compliance date to transition to the ICD-10 code sets. The rule also requires HIPAA covered entities to continue to use ICD-9-CM through September 30, 2015." I got this quotation at the CDC (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification).
Let me back up a little, and explain the reason for them. Physicians and nurses and insurance company personnel use these as a codified means to designate a certain diagnosis as it has been defined by the World Health Organization. This simplifies some communication, and also defines, for non-providers, what are typical therapies, and therefore gives insurance people a leg to stand on when saying they will pay for this, but not for that, because that is not a standard therapy for a certain diagnosis. While I am certain that no practitioner would do this, it is one of the ways we prevent practitioners for billing insurance for ridiculous treatments or pseudo-scientific treatments. Otherwise I could set myself up as a practitioner of "tea therapy" and bill insurance for sharing tea with patients for an hour. I could publish some data in a magazine (not a peer-reviewed journal though) explaining how I know that tea therapy works, and then put up on the internet an explanation of how I have found a therapy that doctors are trying to quash because it would put them out of business.
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