The Human Spring Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: How to Get Pain Free by Restoring Your Thoracic Outlet Spring Mechanism (Human Spring Book Series)

I've just completed my reading/assessment of Dr. Stoxen's book. Having taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder and reviewed many proposed textbooks I find this book to be a perfect balance of information, pace, illustration, case studies, and assessment, practice, treatment, and long-term maintenance. That's a tall order since many texts I have been presented with over the years are severely lacking. I've followed Dr. Stoxen's work for many years from the standpoint of running mechanics and ways to move more efficiently. In addition, I drive a desk for work and have been reminded to do some key stretches after reading this book.I am a physicist and happy to say that no physics education is necessary to absorb the cogent material presented. When one opens a door it's obvious you don't push at the hinge. Likewise, the tiresome practice of modeling the body as a lever has been replaced by a more appropriate spring model which is intuitively presented and easily understood. Imagine holding a skeleton are and bending it at the elbow. It doesn't respond or reflex in the lever model. It's static and stays in the set position. The body does not work that way. Obviously, the muscle in the arm activates the joint and creates movement similar to a spring and there is an obvious connection and reaction to movement via the muscles/tendons/ligaments. The engineer in me would also add a damped oscillator concept yet that is unnecessary.Since beginning running “minimally” (I avoid the term barefoot) I’ve learned that stride is the key element of a successful run and having read this book I see how the entire body is involved due to the spring mechanism, position of the head, and the arm movement. Many runners rely on shoes that only address the area of impact (padded heel, wedge shaped sole) and forget about the equal and opposite reaction that propagates up the leg and the entire body. In addition, most runners neglect proper stride and end up spending years and a lot of money compensating for the ensuing running injuries that are guaranteed by either overuse with improper stride or unnecessary mass-spring loading due to misalignment. The action of the well-conditioned calf working with the fascia up through the body may only be understood with a spring mass model since this natural shock absorption system is key to understanding proper form and explaining the common running injuries which I have since avoided. The way you carry your upper body is important as the shock loading from improperly positioned arms and head can cause undue fatigue.Before I go far into my review the book is far from a purely theoretical treatment of TOS. I find that Dr. Stoxen's experience with patients has enabled him to present information that is actionable in terms of the bottom line: healing and continued function of the body. The contemporary case studies are helpful in leading readers to the proper source of diagnosis and treatment for their pain. I think many will benefit from integrating this book into their practice as well as the general public. Dr. Stoxen is adept at explaining and diagraming the complex relationships and moving parts in the TO. This level of accountability is important as it helps isolate causes for TOS and hence aid treatment.An important aspect of the book is the attention to healing/prevention and not symptomatic treatment, something I find all too common in contemporary medicine. The ability of Dr. Stoxen to explain the mechanisms of the forces in the body to most everyone without an advanced degree will give the material traction and point many to an increased quality of life. The book will provide a living document that will be off the shelf and open more often that lined up with other texts from graduate school. If that sounds dramatic recall that almost 18% of Americans suffer from chronic or severe pain and are treated with drugs (epidemic in recent news). Masking pain is dangerous and unnecessary as Dr. Stoxen takes us through a very detailed discussion regarding what to do and what not to do and the ramifications (pardon the old terminology).There are so many books regarding pain in the body and it's difficult to research the many possible causes. My suggestion is to start with this book because the many possible sources of pain are detailed as well as a necessary education about the TO. I say this because our modern lifestyle points to TOS as the culprit more often than not. This approach will also help avoid a lot of time involved with misdiagnosis. Given this information (and hopefully a visit to Dr. Stoxen for lucky locals) it's possible to streamline the search for a proper modality (course of treatment).It seems intuitively obvious to me that the spring mass model (and beyond) is appropriate for modeling the basic movement of the body w/r to the skeletal-muscle system. What I found surprising is the longevity of the old lever model. This points to the need for more multi-disciplinary research and problem-solving in medicine (and other fields for that matter). A protocol that only addresses pain management won't contribute to root cause analysis and subsequent indicated therapy. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome isn't necessarily a household term and now it should be. Given our preoccupation with smart phones and bad posture driven by over-stimulation in the media the need for this understanding is heightened.Takeaway: Even though I live pain free because I am certain that I can benefit from an assessment and learn about the targeted activity and stretches I can do to maintain my proper body function. If you live with pain and have given up and think that it could even remotely be TOS, learn from this book, get help, and consult Dr. Stoxen before you consider surgery.I have both undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics, have done shock mechanics research at NASA JSC, am published in four fields of study, have taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and worked over 30 years in both commercial and R&D involving related technologies (physics, materials, mechanics, motion, and some medical research). I only mention this to give my review efficacy and point the reader to this work in order to advance the state of medicine.

I am really happy I purchased this book. It is easy to understand and extremely relatable. It was almost comforting to know that Dr. Stoxen also struggled with TOS for so many years and that he actually recovered. I have been living with chronic pain for about five years now and have been bounced around from one specialist to another spending money unnecessarily and with no answers. I have been doing my research for a really long time and more recently I had started to believe that I had TOS, but too scared to be ridiculed or thought of as that crazy patient, I never really brought this up to any of my doctors; I can’t even really believe that I had to since they are the doctor, but no one ever even suggested this to me as a possibility. I recently started seeing a chiropractor and he suggested I may have TOS. My first thought was, I just knew it! After this diagnosis I started researching TOS extensively and I came across Dr. Stoxen‘s book. The book might as well have been written about me! For once in a really long time I feel hopeful that there is actually a solution for me that didn’t involve surgery. I found the book to be extremely educational and explained a lot of my problems and why they’re happening in a way that made a lot of sense to me. I can’t yet speak on being “cured“ since I just bought the book recently, but it has given me the hope and the motivation to pursue a solution.

This book saved my life.I first realized I had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome after the second month of suffering from it. By then, I could not hold up my head, I had numbness and pain in both arms and hands, and I had full blown hear attack symptoms. I was in ER twice. Local chiropractors and doctors did not really give me a diagnosis, just said it was musculoskeletal. Chiropractors helped relieve a few symptoms but the pain would come back in a few days.I started doing my own research on my condition and realized with the help of Google that I have TOS. I went on Amazon to searched for any info on this topic and came across Dr. Stoxen's book. This book describes in extensive detail what the condition is, what causes it, what life changes need to be made, what muscles are involved, what specialists to see, and what exercises to do to get this condition resolved.Dr. Stoxen is without a doubt THE BEST doctor to consult (or better yet, get treated by) for TOS!Please, before you sign up for any surgery, get this book, purchase Dr. Stoxen's Massage Assist massager tool, and work on releasing all those trigger points that he mentions in his book. Or better yet, email him (contact info is in his book) with any questions you might have and he WILL respond fast!I am SO SO glad I stumbled upon this book! Do not hesitate- purchase it!

In order to review Dr. Stoxen’s book, I wanted to first put his theories into practice and try out the suggested treatment method for a few months. Now that I have done that, I have a deeper understanding of my body and of TOS itself, as well as the ways in which I can alleviate the pain I’ve endured for nine years.Reading about the Human Spring Theory helped me to understand how my muscles have reacted to my TOS as ‘spasms’ and, thus, have added to my pain by further compressing the nerves and arteries in my thoracic outlet. In order to release the ‘spring’ of those muscles, I needed to learn where those muscles were, and studied a fair bit of anatomy during the recent lockdown. My husband researched and learned about the different muscles along with me, so that he could help me with the treatment.Treatment Part I: massage timeIn order to carry out the recommended treatment, you will need someone to help you. Under Dr. Stoxen’s direction, my husband and I were able to try the method of relaxing the muscles through vibrational massage and deep tissue massage. Every evening for the last few months, we have done 30-45 minutes of vibrational massage to push inflammation out of the muscles and relax them. Then we’d do deep tissue massage, followed by a further 15-20 minutes of vibrational massage to ease some of the soreness from the deep tissue work. Depending on how bad my condition is each time, the whole process usually takes about 1-1.5 hours. It is a time commitment, but definitely worth it as my pain has decreased significantly. I believe that, as you continue doing the treatment, you’ll be able to decrease the amount of time or not even need to do it every day. However, at the beginning, the most effective method is to do it every single day.One could say that Dr. Stoxen’s ideas aren’t completely new, but they work on the basis of taking your wellbeing into your own hands. Physical therapists are really good at their jobs and it’s thanks to them that I’ve been able to manage daily pain all these years. However, their appointments are limited to 15-30 minutes, depending on the type of health insurance you have. Dr. Stoxen is adamant about the fact that, for conditions like TOS, more time is vital for a more complete treatment of the issue.Moreover, Dr. Stoxen states it’s not necessary to rely on doctors prescribing strong pain relieving drugs or offering a surgery that doesn’t necessarily have a high success rate. In fact, in order to do this treatment, you need to be completely off all medication. You need to be able to feel the pain so that you know in which areas to do the treatment. I know that is a challenge, especially if you’ve relied on pills for years to manage your pain and be able to do ordinary tasks. I had actually made the decision to stop taking medication about six months before we started the treatment. I knew it would be necessary anyway, to improve my overall health, but it was not easy to stop completely.Treatment Part II: stretch & strengthenThe second part of Dr. Stoxen’s treatment is familiar ground to those who have tried the physical therapy route. In his book, he sets out a number of stretches and strengthening exercises, specifically meant to target those key muscles. The idea is that you adjust the muscles through massage and stretching, and then you strengthen them to relieve the compression on the bones that have trapped the nerves and arteries. To do these exercises, you may need to purchase a few items, but nothing overly expensive. And since we couldn’t afford fancy equipment or gym membership, here’s a list of the tools we did use:-Dr. Stoxen’s book-The Vibeassage from Dr. Stoxen’s website (this was the most expensive purchase, but it was necessary for this treatment and well worth the money)-A stretchband (start with this before moving on to weights)-A dumb bell set-Suspension trainer-Exercise ballTreatment Part III: professional guidanceThe third and final part of Dr. Stoxen’s suggested treatment is to find a chiropractor that would be able to adjust your first rib. This is the one part of the treatment I’ve been hesitant about and have not carried out yet. I understand that Dr. Stoxen believes releasing the first rib is key; however, I’m still doing research on this and seeking advice from various sources, including doctors, physical therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors. I believe it’s vital to first know what type of TOS you have, and whether or not it’s directly related to the first rib. Unfortunately, progress has been slow in my research because of lockdown and not being able to visit doctors freely, but I will not give up.Something I wish I’d known nine years ago is that there’s no need to rush into something I’m uncertain of, and no matter how confident a doctor, physical therapist, osteopath or chiropractor sounds, there are things they will only see from their particular professional viewpoint. A doctor gets your scans done, prescribes drugs and, eventually, suggests surgery. Physical therapists don’t want you to opt for surgery too soon and would rather you do your exercises- strengthen that core, fix your posture, etc. Osteopaths are concerned with your alignment and posture. And so the list goes. Whatever happens and whoever you see, don’t forget this: you know your body best. So, as you try various treatments, only you will be able to tell if it actually helps you and makes you feel better.Do I recommend it?If you’re an English teacher, or simply have a fondness for good writing, you probably will struggle with Dr. Stoxen’s book. The diagrams and illustrations aren’t always clear, and the corresponding website is also uninspiring. For a practical and charismatic person like Dr. Stoxen, I think making a short instruction manual or a series of instructional videos would be more suitable. However, if you can wade through the writing style and mechanics of the book, there are still nuggets of helpful ideas to be gained by reading it. In the end, my husband and I contacted Dr. Stoxen directly. He was very kind and he happily explained his points to us in more detail and even showed us how to use the vibrating massager via video call.Finally, is it worth it to try Dr. Stoxen’s suggested treatment for TOS? The pain is not totally gone overall and there are still good days and bad days, but honestly, I cannot recommend this treatment enough. For the first time in months (years even!) I have been sleeping through most nights and waking up without pain. There are many activities I can do now that I haven’t been able to do in years. Hobbies I thought I’d have to give up because of my pain, I can now do freely. Dr. Stoxen introduced us to an idea that has given me so much to look forward to.

For 21 years I have experienced widespread pain and a lack of freedom of movement in my body. I saw every practitioner and specialist I could find. Osteopaths, chiropractors, physiotherapists, sports doctors, you name it. I had multiple MRI and CT scans, X-rays, and a nerve conduction test. No one could tell me what was wrong with me and yet I was in pain, daily. The exercises I was given not only didn't help me but actually exacerbated the problem.It wasn't until I read this book that I understood what was going on in my body and why no one could help me. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome is not understood by the medical world generally which is evident in the treatment usually given, namely surgery to remove the scalene muscles and/or ribs. You do not want this!Dr. Stoxen explains how you likely got TOS, anatomically why you are experiencing your specific problems, and what you can do to reverse it. He is logical, thorough, and passionate about getting people better. Look up his credentials.I am currently seeing a chiropractor after having discussed Dr. Stoxen's work demonstrated in this book and for the first time in years am experiencing relief from pain and freedom of movement. Finally on the right track!If this sounds like your story then please read this book.

Soooo happy i've found this book hope you will too!! is like walk into the dim light tunnel and finally saw some bright sparkle on it way out! as a Rehab's practitioner sometimes i wonder what?? are seem mess to begin where to start ,yep the book got it all for you to follow the path from understanding and maintaining yourself, i also now apply the concepts in this book to help my patients to improve their health& well being in all levels, i am already receiving amazing feedback and results how life's changed and transforming into the healthy zone as is should be! Thank you Dr.Stoxen for sharing this divinely inspired knowledge and CONGRATULATIONS! to all who are benefits we are Pretty lucky !

99% of health books and advice on the physical body is outdated. ...Why? Because they’re based on a model that's 350 years old, influenced by dead bodies!!!! NOT ALIVE BODIES!!!No wonder people live too short and die to long these days.This book basically educates how to look after yourself physically so you can live and feel both stronger and better when it comes to the upper body (for the lower body, there’s “how I got my wiggle back”)Surprising easy to read for how technical the subject is.I am a Professional Athlete who has been following the Human Spring Approach since 2012. I was super injury prone my entire life before hand. I haven't had much since and if I do they are super easy to manage now in a way that allows me to still train super hard. I'm the guy everyone goes to when they find an injury for instant relief and game plan to continue training... and it's all outlined in this book.Dr James Stoxen's story is amazing and it's must read to understand why he's approach isn't just mumbo jumbo... He was personally forced to uncover the truth.I've also used the approach on my mum to assist her RSI she's had since the late 90s... it would of disappeared already for her if she wasn't as hard headed and followed my advice!!!! I can't wait for my hard copy to arrive so I can put that put photocopies of the book all over the house so she has no excuse!!!

An excellent book, with wonderful illustrations and an extraordinary care for details.Precise in physiology, a text that starts from the anatomy and arrives at the techniques of therapy. Absolutely to have in your library.