Question
Hi there,

I'm hoping you can help me.

For a few months, I have found myself to not be breathing as deeply as normal of that makes any sense. It's like my stomach muscles are not allowing me to fully extend my stomach in order in take a deep breath and this seems to be affecting my throat. It feels like you do when you exercise on a cold day and get that funny pain in your throat, not pain but weird feeling. My sinuses are also playing up so I'm wondering if the breathing and throat thing is due to this. My fingernails are also a very pale, almost blue colour.

My neck cracks when I move it around, as does my shoulder blades and tips of my shoulders when I move them.

All of this has been accompanied by dizziness, brain fogginess, and just generally feeling like crap.

I really need help.

Do you think this is something related to my spine?

Many thanks.

Answer
Hi Mary,

I am very sorry that you are feeling this way. There are a lot of questions that need answered, far more than we can cover here.

A brief start however would be, how old are you and do you have heart or lung problems? How long has this been going on?  What brought this issue on?  Also, here is what I need you to answer.   If the answer is yes, then you need to see a different doctor, your primary care physician, cardiologist or go to the ER if you don't have either type of doctor.

Do you have the following:

1# High blood pressure
2) Shortness of breath, especially during exercise
3) Headache
4) Muscle weakness
5) Leg cramps or cold feet
6) Nosebleeds

When to see a doctor
Seek medical help if you have the following signs or symptoms:
Severe chest pain
Fainting
Sudden shortness of breath
Unexplained high blood pressure

Now if you have what's above and the bluish fingernail beds #cyanosis) and muscle cramps, hard to breath etc, you really need to see a cardiologist as you may have some heart and lung problems.

After you have been cleared medically from heart disease to cancer, you may see a chiropractor.  Sometimes there are spine related problems that may be hindering your underlying conditions, not allowing you to improve.  Any doctor that looks at you and doesn't refer you to your general practitioner or a cardiologist is not helping you and may cause significant problems.  I would be referring you to one of them and requesting blood work as well as chest x-rays.  Please take care of this today and do not wait.  Call and make and appointment with your doctor or cardiologist ASAP.  

I hope this helps, this is not "call an ambulance" emergency, but it definitely is something to have checked sooner than later.

**This post is for the purpose of providing medical information and is not a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a doctor. This post is not intended to give or rule out a diagnosis, create a doctor-patient relationship or replace an existing one. I am not able to diagnose medical conditions online. Please consult with your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options.