What does cricopharyngeal mean?

What does cricopharyngeal mean?

Medical Definition of cricopharyngeal : of or relating to the cricoid cartilage and the pharynx.

What does Cricopharyngeal muscle do?

It protects the airway and lungs from damaging stomach contents that might be refluxed up through the esophagus into the throat. When something is swallowed, the cricopharyngeus relaxes and opens allowing what was ingested to be swept from the pharynx into the esophagus.

What causes the UES to relax?

Key Points. At rest, closure of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is due to passive forces as well as active muscle contraction, and its relaxation requires inhibition of the cricopharyngeus and contraction of suprahyoid muscles.

How do you fix the upper esophageal sphincter?

Treatments for upper esophageal sphincter dysfunction include botulinum toxin injection into cricopharyngeal muscle, UES dilation, endoscopic cricopharyngeal myotomy or transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy.

How is cricopharyngeal muscle treated?

Options of home treatments for cricopharyngeal spasms include:

1. relaxation techniques, including controlled breathing, meditation, guided thought, and visualization.
2. over-the-counter muscle relaxants.
3. heated bags or pads, as well as warm drinks or foods.
4. eating and drinking foods, slowly, to prolong the absence of symptoms.

How is cricopharyngeal dysfunction treated?

The definitive treatment for cricopharyngeal dysfunction is a procedure called cricopharyngeus muscle myotomy in which physicians cut the UES in a way that prevents it from over-contracting, so food is no longer blocked from entering the esophagus.

How do you relax Cricopharyngeal muscles?

How is Cricopharyngeal dysfunction treated?

How do you relax the Cricopharyngeal muscle?

What nerve controls UES?

The vagus nerve, through its pharyngeal, superior laryngeal and recurrent laryngeal nerve branches, is the major motor nerve of the UES. All these nerves form a pharyngeal plexus before penetrating into the muscle fibers. Nerve cell bodies of the vagal efferent fibers are located in the nucleus ambiguus.

Is the cricopharyngeus part of the sphincter?

These are typical features of spasm or achalasia (failure to relax) of the cricopharyngeus muscle, which is part of the upper esophageal sphincter. The cricopharyngeus normally relaxes in anticipation of the arrival of a bolus of food.

What happens to the cricopharyngeal muscle in the throat?

If the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPM) in your throat malfunctions or is impaired, this can cause you to have difficulty swallowing. The top valve of your esophagus (food pipe) is called the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), or pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). The CPM separates the esophagus and throat.

Is the upper esophageal sphincter always contracted during sleep?

A sphincter muscle encircling the upper end of the esophagus. The cricopharyngeus muscle, also called the upper esophageal sphincter or UES, is almost always in a contracted state, even during sleep.

What kind of muscle is the upper esophageal sphincter made of?

The upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is primarily composed of the cricopharyngeus muscle. This muscle includes mostly type I slow-twitch striated muscle fibers and is innervated by the vagus nerve via the pharyngeal plexus.