Some of the “strange sensations” we see at Caring Medical are swallowing and speaking difficulties, which most people associate with having a stroke. However, many patients have not experienced a stroke, just progressively worsening swallowing/speaking abilities. They report regularly getting food stuck in their throat or experiencing a “choking” or “suffocation” feeling, often with excessive secretions in the throat.
As you know, we strive to find the underlying cause of any condition, which we do by following the neurological aspects that gives rise to them. In cases of speech and swallowing problems, these originate in the neck so we must look here! Cervical (neck) spine instability is at the core of cervical, head, thoracic, TMJ, face, mouth, and hyoid bone relationships, stability, alignment, and curves.
Some patients experience a weird clicking sensation in the neck and/or tongue. Others feel like they cannot push the food back for a complete swallow because they sense their tongues are not working. Interestingly enough, the tongue is a muscle innervated by the hypoglossal nerve which originates on a bone called the hyoid bone. This hyoid bone, like any other, can become unstable, affecting nerve and muscle function. Sometimes, the muscles in the neck become extremely tight trying to compensate for the weak structures that are supposed to be supporting the bones. People will complain of pain in these areas of the neck as well.
Stability of the cervical spine is also essential for proper vagus nerve functioning. The vagus nerves are the longest and most important nerves in the human body. They border C1 and C2 (our upper cervical spine) and travel down the neck and through the body, innervating our vital organs as well as the laryngeal muscle which is necessary for swallowing and speech. Vagal nerve injuries can limit vocal nerve function, and affect the pitch, quality, and power of the voice. Symptoms of vagopathy affecting the larynx can be chronic coughing, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and loss of singing ability, or voice power.
So, what we are saying is that loose head, neck, and spinal structures could be causing your unusual speech and swallowing symptoms! Our approach to treating these symptoms is often a combination of chiropractic cervical curve correction in conjunction with reparative injections to the ligament-bone junctions. Until these structures are stabilized, they will not return to normal function and the patient’s condition typically continue to worsen. As many people sadly experience, speech problems do not present a benign situation – it is progressive and worsens over time.