When I was 26 years old, I traveled to Russia with Dr. Ed Enos from Concordia University to help teach one of the first sports medicine courses organized in Moscow. During this time, I met legendary Soviet sports scientist Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky. His research on impact absorption and elastic force became the inspiration for what later grew into my Integrated Spring-Mass Model, a framework that explains how the body handles impact using natural springs instead of rigid levers. This model shaped my understanding of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and many other mechanical conditions.
His approach to impact forces helped me recognize how the body stores and releases energy. That spring-based perspective reshaped my work in human performance, rehabilitation, and the biomechanics of TOS. Around this same period, world powerlifting champion Ed Coan came to my office. Even though he had already earned 13 world titles and broken 71 world records, he faced nagging injuries from accumulated internal compression. Rather than waiting for injuries to develop, we created a proactive program centered around early detection of guarding, splinting, and dysfunctional muscle tension.
Ed visited the office three days a week for full-body evaluations and deep tissue treatments. Our goal was to identify and eliminate early signs of protective contraction before they escalated into major problems. In my clinical experience, internal pressure created by involuntary muscle tightening can be more dangerous than external loads such as squats or deadlifts. Internal compression collapses the body from within, narrowing nerve openings and reducing the natural spring protection the body relies on for movement.
I lectured widely on this Human Spring Approach after Dr. Robert Goldman experienced paralysis in one leg and responded well to the concepts. He introduced me to international audiences, and soon I was lecturing globally on how spring mechanics affect performance, recovery, and even certain aspects of anti-aging. These presentations helped establish the model as a foundation for understanding upper body mechanics, especially in cases involving Thoracic Outlet Anatomy.
Because of the results achieved with Ed Coan, Ernie Frantz invited me to become the National Team Doctor for the American Powerlifting Federation at only 25 years old. When the APF was invited to compete against the Russians in 1987, it opened the door to deeper collaboration with Soviet experts. I later organized the Rehab 670 Soviet Sports Medicine Course in 1989, where doctors from around the world learned directly from Russian scientists who specialized in elasticity, force absorption, and spring behavior.
My friendship with Verkhoshansky continued during this era and helped solidify the foundation for what later became the Human Spring Approach. This approach views the body from the neck down as a living spring and the head as a mass—like a bowling ball supported above a mechanical structure. Understanding this relationship is essential to grasping how TOS symptoms develop. Deep tissue releases, vibration therapy, and circulatory-focused techniques evolved over the years into a combined method supported by tools like the Vibeassage® Sport, Vibeassage® Pro, and the TDX3 soft-as-the-hand Biomimetic Applicator Pad.
For individuals with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the upper body spring is critical. The shoulder works as a suspension system supporting the arm, forearm, and hand above the rib cage. This suspension system shapes the thoracic outlet tunnel through which the brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and subclavian vein pass. When inflammation triggers guarding and internal compression, this tunnel narrows, reducing space and altering nerve signaling and vascular flow.
Over decades of global lectures and hands-on work, I have now delivered 18 presentations focused specifically on treating TOS through spring mechanics. Understanding both the lower and upper body spring has allowed thousands of patients to improve functional movement, reduce chronic tension, and better understand their condition. The relationships between muscle guarding, rib position, and postural strain help explain why symptoms vary widely among individuals.
The spring model also explains why some individuals experience shoulder pain, neck stiffness, or difficulty lifting their arm when the thoracic outlet narrows. It also highlights the importance of examining joint play, subtle rib mobility, and early signs of fatigue in the muscles responsible for stabilizing the shoulder girdle.
Many individuals describe improved body awareness after learning how spring mechanics function. Others appreciate understanding how elastic recoil, impact absorption, and posture mechanics influence the thoracic outlet tunnel. These concepts help patients visualize how small mechanical shifts may contribute to the patterns commonly associated with TOS symptoms.
If you want to learn the upper body spring, get the book. If you want to learn the lower body spring, visit TeamDoctorsAcademy.com. These resources go deeper into the principles behind spring biomechanics, impact absorption, and the full-body integration of the Human Spring Model.
Team Doctors Resources
✓ Check out the Team Doctors Recovery Tools
The Vibeassage Sport and the Vibeassage Pro featuring the TDX3 soft-as-the-hand Biomimetic Applicator Pad
https://www.teamdoctors.com/
✓ Get Dr. Stoxen’s #1 International Bestselling Books
Learn how to understand, examine, and reverse your TOS—without surgery.
https://drstoxen.com/1-international-best-selling-author/
✓ Check out Team Doctors Online Courses
Step-by-step video lessons, demonstrations, and self-treatment strategies.
https://teamdoctorsacademy.com/
✓ Schedule a Free Phone Consultation With Dr. Stoxen
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References
[1] Sanders RJ, Hammond SL. Thoracic outlet syndrome overview. Muscle Nerve. 2002.
[2] Peek J, Vos CG. Anatomy of thoracic outlet structures. J Anat. 2017.
[3] Hooper TL et al. Thoracic outlet biomechanics review. J Man Manip Ther. 2010.
[4] Kopacz K, Ziętek P. Elastic force behavior in human movement. J Hum Kinet. 2020.
Dr James Stoxen DC., FSSEMM (hon) He is the president of Team Doctors®, Treatment and Training Center Chicago, one of the most recognized treatment centers in the world.
Dr Stoxen is a #1 International Bestselling Author of the book, The Human Spring Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. He has lectured at more than 20 medical conferences on his Human Spring Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and asked to publish his research on this approach to treating thoracic outlet syndrome in over 30 peer review medical journals.
He has been asked to submit his other research on the human spring approach to treatment, training and prevention in over 150 peer review medical journals. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Orthopedic Science and Research, Executive Editor or the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care, Chief Editor, Advances in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Journal and editorial board for over 35 peer review medical journals.
He is a much sought-after speaker. He has given over 1000 live presentations and lectured at over 70 medical conferences to over 50,000 doctors in more than 20 countries. He has been invited to speak at over 300 medical conferences which includes invitations as the keynote speaker at over 50 medical conferences.
After his groundbreaking lecture on the Integrated Spring-Mass Model at the World Congress of Sports and Exercise Medicine he was presented with an Honorary Fellowship Award by a member of the royal family, the Sultan of Pahang, for his distinguished research and contributions to the advancement of Sports and Exercise Medicine on an International level. He was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Personal Trainers Hall of Fame in 2012.
Dr Stoxen has a big reputation in the entertainment industry working as a doctor for over 150 tours of elite entertainers, caring for over 1000 top celebrity entertainers and their handlers. Anthony Field or the popular children’s entertainment group, The Wiggles, wrote a book, How I Got My Wiggle Back detailing his struggles with chronic pain and clinical depression he struggled with for years. Dr Stoxen is proud to be able to assist him.
Full Bio) Dr Stoxen can be reached directly at teamdoctors@aol.com
