Question
Dear Dr. Rozenboom,

For about 5 months or so, I have been experiencing a troublesome pain in what feels like the area I would place my fingers to take my pulse. It began lower in the left/front part of my throat area. Being a massage therapist for 14 years, I traced my SCM muscle, thinking that perhaps I was dealing with a simple muscle spasm. I am 100% sure that it is NOT the SCM because I can manipulate this area without causing the acute, sharp pain that seems to shock me with varied frequency. I manipulated my caffeine intake, I paid attention to stress triggers, and I had my husband,who is a Chiropractor to perform a "Toggle Recoil" adjustment on me. None of these have seemed to affect it. There are times when it is less acute and it will creep up in intensity and stay in that state for about 15 to 20 seconds. Most times, it is an intense sensation that will stop me in my tracks. I have wondered about my Carotid artery, an infection in my Vagus nerve(I have fought gingivitis for years)and the M.D. I saw at a community clinic said that my Thyroid was slightly low. Have you ever heard of this kind of issue? What course of action would you recommend I pursue. I get regular adjustments. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Christa Lynch LMT, LE  

Answer
Christa:

Thanks for writing!

This could be any number of things, from a sacro iliac separation to a jamming of the cranial sutures or a bad tooth or root canal or a bone disconnected in your upper back getting in the way of the nerves as they are doing their job (subluxation).

The only solution I can see is to go to an SOT chiropractor. Your husband might know one. Or go to www.sorsi.com, www.icak.com and www.soto-usa.com and look for one near you.