The carotid sinus contains numerous baroreceptors which function as a "sampling area" for many homeostatic mechanisms for maintaining blood pressure.

Physical assault at this point, producing massive baroreflex activation can cause dramatic falls in blood pressure and cerebral ischemia.

The carotid sinus often has atherosclerotic plaques because of disturbed hemodynamics (low wall shear stress, flow reversal/recirculation).

A pacemaker-like device can be implanted to electrically stimulate the receptors chronically, which is found to lower blood pressure by 15–25 mmHg.

[10] It is less effective than pharmaceutical management of SVT with verapamil or adenosine,[11] but it is still the preferred first line of treatment in a hemodynamically stable patient.

[12] Carotid sinus reflex death is a potential etiology of sudden death in which manual stimulation of the carotid sinus allegedly causes strong glossopharyngeal nerve (Vagus nerve is for aortic arch baroreceptors) impulses leading to terminal cardiac arrest.

Stimulation of the carotid sinus via a slap or a strike, to induce (usually temporary, but sometimes lethal) loss of consciousness is a self-defense technique, and is often taught in martial arts such as karate.