about the anatomy to understand stroke there's two sets of blood vessels that bring blood to the brain the anterior circulation the front circulation or the carotid arteries and these are very easily accessible you can feel your own carotid if you put your finger just below the angle of the jaw and don't press too hard there but if you press gently you can feel the carotid artery right here which is pulsing so you've got one on either side going up the front of the neck in the back of the neck you have the vertebral