Expert: Dr. Paul Newhart - 12/14/2009

Question
I suffered and injury to my long thoracic nerve about 7 years ago in a car accident.  I have had extensive testing don and it has been determined that the nerve is no longer functioning.  I also have sever winging of my right shoulder blade.  Mri tests reveal that nothing is wrong with my shoulder itself, however, my shoulder "pops out" on a regular basis due to the instability in my back.  I have had lots of PT with little to no results.  My range of motion is now being compromised as well as numbness and tingling in my right arm.  Is there a surgery to fix this or is it something that will continue to worsen as the years go by?  I was told by a Dr. that there was nothing that could be done as well as told by another Dr. that there is things that could be done.  I am concerned that if it isnt fixed I could easily loose all function of my arm.  Also finding a Dr. that takes my insurance is a problem as I am on a state funded program.
If you have any information or any ideas I would appreciate you helping in anyway.
Thank you,
Debbie

Answer
There is a treatment, low level laser therapy, that may be effective in helping this.  The laser stimulates you to heal, and has been quite successful with nerve injuries.  Unfortunately, after 7 years, it does get harder to bring it around, if it can be done at all