Question
I have this lump feeling in my throat.  It is located at my tonsils and at may collar bone.  I feel like someone has their hand on my neck choking me.  I even tear up and my voice changes.  I have been to an ear nose and throat Dr. and he put me on antacids.  I thought it was helping, I am not so sure now.  It will last for 4-6 days, sometimes longer.  It will come and go.  I notice very hot coffee or tea helps, but comes right back.  So does a neck massage.  But massaging the front makes it worse. Sleeping is difficult.  I have to cradle my neck and elevate myself with pillows.  Sometimes tilting my neck back as far as I can helps.  This has been happening for the past couple of years.  It is just lasting much longer than a day or two.

I remember having this as a child.  That same year I done something to my neck while tumbling in gym class.  My neck was kinked so bad my head was almost resting on my shoulder.  That same year I remember going home from school several times cause the lump was so bad.  Dr. put me on nerve pills, thinking kids were picking on me.  

My current ENT Dr. has checked me for thyroid with a blood test and ultra sound.  Now he wants an Xray for a hernia, just to make sure.  

I thought it was due to sinus drainage.  I can spit mucus up constantly, and feel better for a short time.  But the more I think of what makes me feel better, seems to point to a neck problem instead of an acid reflux problem.  Can you give me your option?  I think I need a chiropractor.

Answer

Star Soma   Hi, Tammy,

The lump in your throat sounds like throat muscles in contraction.  The fact that you tear up makes me wonder if you had an emotional upset that never got handled -- or a physical one.  Did anyone ever choke you?  Did you have a gymnastics accident?

Anyway, no manipulative technique, chiropractic or otherwise, will be sufficient to change that pattern of tension. Your body has a tension habit.  You can't change habits by being manipulated by someone else.  You've got to do it from inside.  Your way out is to get back control of those muscles and relax them, the way you might relax a clenched fist.

There is a way:  clinical somatic education.

I'll point you to two webpages. If you want to follow the course of action described, I can help.  Ask.

jaws and throat | http://lawrencegoldsomatics.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-effects-of-jaw-tension-is-g

on clinical somatic education | http://somatics.com/HSEdescription.htm