Question
Hello,
Please help.  Looking for answers.  Doctors don't know what to do here.

A friend was hurt on the job. Had 4-500 pounds fall back at him. He pushed it away.

Pain started in the right shoulder,shoulder blade, arms and hands. Mri of shoulder is normal.
Within two weeks, the pain went across the upper back and involved the other shoulder. The muscles in the thoracic spine are so constricted, they are like cement. His thoracic spine gets stuck with the muscles pulling it out of alignment.
His right shoulder is elevated. His back gets contorted to the point of horrible pain. His rib joints are also stuck.

He had a fusion done in c5-c6 six months ago. Everyone thought that would take care of all of his pain. It helped with numbness in his fingers. Now the whole hand tingles, worse on the right side.

Deep tissue,monarchial release, chiropractor and tens unit are his salvation. Now Chiropractor referral has been taken away due to it being a supportive issue.

They have never done an Mri on his t spine only X-rays. The mri on the neck is over 16 months old but they wont repeat it. We have asked for an emg but the doctor keeps telling the comp nurse that he is keeping costs down. So frustrating!

What would make the muscles remain in spasm?
Could the thoracic spine cause this? Should scans be done on cervical spine and t spine?

He was recently put on baclofen. Too early to know if it will help.
After 16 months, with high pain levels he is losing hope.

Any recommendations are welcome and very much appreciated.

Answer

Hanna Somatic Educatio Hello, Judi.

The answer to your question, "What would make the muscles remain in spasm?" is Trauma Reflex.

Please see this entry and then, if your friend is open, have him read it:

http://somatics.com/recovery_from_injury.htm

also:

http://somatics.com/HSEdescription.htm
http://somatics.com/movement.htm

The resolution is simple, if non-traditional and not used by many MDs:  somatic education, a process the normalizes brain-muscle function.

Your friend, if he is open, should contact and talk with a somatic educator.  Here's the address of the page with a link to the list of practitioners:

http://hannasomatics.com

If no practitioner is close enough, he may ask me for a recommendation for a self-relief program.

This is a fast-acting process effective with severe conditions.  But you have to be open to non-traditional methods to be willing to look into it, and people often have to have exhausted their other options before they're open to something new.