Throat spasms anxiety
- muscle spasms in throat when swallowing
- muscle pain in throat when swallowing
- muscle spasm in throat when eating
- muscle spasms and sore throat
Throat muscle pain when swallowing.
Cricopharyngeal Spasm (CPS)
Hyper-contraction of the cricopharyngeus muscle, which causes a constricted or lump-in-the-throat sensation.
Cricopharyngeal spasm
Cricopharyngeal spasm (CPS) is a harmless disorder, but it can cause great anxiety for somebody who is experiencing it and has not received a clear diagnosis for the symptoms.
The Physiology of Cricopharyngeal Spasm
The cricopharyngeus muscle, or upper esophageal sphincter, is a ring of muscle that encircles the upper end of the esophagus.
This muscle is constantly contracted, closing off the entrance to the esophagus, except when a person swallows, at which point the muscle relaxes momentarily to let the food or liquid pass through.
In a person with cricopharyngeal spasm, the problem is that the cricopharyngeus muscle is overly contracted when in its state of habitual contraction.
This hyper-contraction or hyper-tonic state may be felt by the person. However, the muscle will still relax properly during swallowing, and thus does not impede swallowing.
Symptoms of Cricopharyngeal Spasm
Individuals with cricopharyngeal spasm may describe a
- throat spasms when swallowing food
- spasms in throat and chest