Last updated 22 September 2026
Terms of use
Using this site means accepting what follows. The important part is the second section, and it is short.
1. What this site is
This site publishes reference material drawn from Spiral Staircase, Revised Second Edition (2026), by Neil P. Bostick: chapter briefs, graded recommendations, definitions, corrections and citations. How this site works sets out exactly what is published here and what is not.
2. It is not medical advice
Everything here describes published research. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not establish any clinical relationship. Nothing on this site is a reason to stop, skip, delay or adjust a prescribed treatment, and nothing on it should displace advice from a clinician who knows your history.
Several recommendations carry explicit conditions, including cold water immersion, sauna and hot baths, fasting and eating windows, barefoot walking and breath practice. Those conditions name people who should speak to a clinician first, among them anyone with heart disease or an arrhythmia, diabetes, kidney disease or osteoporosis, anyone pregnant, and anyone with a history of disordered eating. The conditions are part of the recommendation. Acting on a recommendation stripped of them is acting on something the source did not say.
If you think you are having a medical emergency, contact your local emergency service.
3. Accuracy, and its limits
The material here is taken from the book and carries the book's citations and its evidence grades. Research moves, and a claim graded probable today can be overturned tomorrow. Where something is found to be wrong it is published as a correction rather than quietly removed. No warranty is given that any statement here is complete, current, or applicable to your situation.
4. Copyright
The text of Spiral Staircase and the material on this site are copyright 2026 Neil P. Bostick. Quoting a passage with attribution and a link is welcome, and that includes quoting it in an answer generated by an assistant, provided the evidence grade travels with the claim. Reproducing substantial parts, or republishing the register wholesale, is not permitted without written permission. Citations belong to the researchers who published them; attribute a finding to its study, not to this site.
5. Links out
Links to journals, publishers, DOI resolvers and Amazon are provided for reference. No responsibility is taken for their content, availability or terms. Purchases are made on Amazon under Amazon's own terms, not these.
6. Liability
The site is provided as is. To the fullest extent the law allows, no liability is accepted for any loss or harm arising from use of it or from reliance on anything published here. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.
7. Changes and contact
These terms may change; the date at the top changes with them. For anything else, write via NPB.com. See also the privacy notice.