Smoker. Getting Throbbing Sensation On Chest. Should I Be Concerned?

Posted on Tue, 13 Nov 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 Answered on

Mon, 3 Dec 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : There was a throbbing on the left side of my neck tonight, on and off. At one point it lasted for several minutes. It's not painful, but very noticeable. I am about 115-120 lbs. I am a smoker, but I have been cutting down. I have recently gone from being almost completely sedentary to exercising at least one hour a day: Jogging and Yoga. Could this be the cause? Should I be concerned?

Answered by Dr. Vineet Saggar (2 hours later)

Hi,

Thank you for your query.

It does not seem to be anything serious to be concerned about.

Pain in the neck could be due to a muscular spasm or acute disc prolapse. If pain does not radiate to arm, it is probably due to muscular spasm. It could be due to vigorous exercise. If pain is radiating, it may be a cervical spine disorder. MRI cervical spine and NCV (Nerve conducting velocity) of upper limbs can help in reaching an exact diagnosis.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards

Dr Vineet Saggar

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Mohammed Kappan