Danielle Barker

My name is Danielle Barker. I am finally conquering severe bilateral vascular (venous and arterial) thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) thanks to a combination of block therapy, vibration therapy, muscle strengthening exercises and a lifestyle approach that supports anti-inflammatory nutrition.

I feel it’s very important to share my story and hopefully help many others who are struggling with chronic pain as I have been for over 20 years. I had compressions to the subclavian artery and vein on my right side regardless of arm position. And my left side would become compressed with arm elevation. I would struggle to get through every day. I sustained a hairline fracture to my right wrist when I was 12. After many surgeries to rebuild my wrist and a failed neck surgery for TOS, I really believed I would never be free from pain. I would regularly see a physiotherapist, massage therapist and chiropractor. It would just get me to the next day.

I was prescribed heavy narcotics and muscle relaxants to help with the pain over the years. Last year, I followed a pain management program which included nerve block injections and pain medication injection to help reduce and alleviate the pain. Nothing seem to have the permanent results I was looking for.  I was scheduled for another surgery in hope of returning proper blood flow to my arms. My muscles in my upper body were getting weaker and the pain was increasingly harder to manage.

Hesitant, I kept looking for answers and wanted to avoid another invasive surgery. My sister in law discovered block therapy for her son with scoliosis. She sent me the information and I signed up right away! As I was waiting for my blocks to arrive I also discovered Vibration Therapy. 

I was in chronic pain, and I could feel my body deteriorating at an accelerated rate. At the young age of 34, with 2 young children, I would do anything to get my health back. A clinic in Chicago offered vibration therapy to patients with chronic pain, with a focus on TOS. I flew to Chicago shortly after to meet Dr. Stoxen and complete an intense treatment of vibration therapy. The results were fascinating. That was the beginning of my healing journey.

Thanks to Dr Stoxen and the Block Therapy program with Deanna and Quinn, I started to learn the true biomechanics of the body and what I needed to do to release the chronic state of compression my body was stuck in for many years. Shortly after starting the programs, the pain became manageable without any pain medications. I felt I could get part of my life back. In combination with the blocking, I continued to do vibration therapy at home thanks to Dr Stoxen’s Vibeassage. A vibration machine that you take home to continue your own treatments and an option for people who aren’t as fortunate as I was to be able to fly to Chicago. Dr Stoxen encouraged that I continue to treat myself at home to avoid costly visits to therapists when I could easily treat myself in the comfort of my own home. For the next 8 months, I focused on what I learned and got to work! Reducing the inflammation and releasing the tense muscles with vibration therapy was a very large component for me. However, the Block Therapy program was the missing piece to my puzzle. Learning about fascia, pain sites vs cause sites kept me on the right path to where I am today. The results are a miracle. 

I am still working on some lingering compressions to my subclavian veins and arteries however the improvement is significant. I would not be sitting here today typing this biography if it was not for Block Therapy and vibration therapy. People need to know that the answers aren’t always narcotics and pills to numb and get to the next day. And short physio, massage or chiro sessions only scratch the surface.  Going deeper and releasing the fascia and reducing inflammation is key to reversing chronic pain from injuries, poor posture and aging. 

Lifestyle changes including the reduction and illumination of inflammatory foods were very helpful in fuelling my body and accelerating the healing process. I am currently pain free. I wake up every day very thankful for my health and I cherish what I once lost. And I won’t wait for my health to deteriorate again to take care of it. I will always value and prioritize my health going forward. It is funny how we value our health once we have lost it rather then when we have it.  I took my health into my own hands and great things have happened!

For more information on what I am doing including Block Therapy and Vibration Therapy, please email me at dracine00@gmail.com.  

Vibration Therapy: For more information on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, look up Dr. Stoxen’s book , “The Human Spring Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome”. 

The book includes very helpful information on what exactly TOS is, how it happens and very specific information on treatment, cause sites, pain sites and strengthening exercises to heal TOS and hopefully avoid invasive surgeries! 

~ Danielle Barker