Ross Hauser, MD In this article, we will discuss how chest pain, a racing heartbeat, panic attacks, fainting, and near-fainting episodes, and anxiety may be coming from a problem in the cervical spine causing compression on the nerves, arteries, and veins that are all part of the cardiovascular system. It is important to realize that this may only be one possible explanation as to why seemingly healthy individuals, having been checked out by their cardiologist, have cardiovascular-type symptoms with no clear explanation. Cervical instability creates autonomic myopathy or autonomic neuropathy, which is nerve damage that blocks or interferes with the …