Treatments

Spastic Esophageal Motility Disorder Treatments

Treatment for Spastic EMD will depend on the specific nature of the disorder. For many EMDs, there are a variety of treatments available. They include:

• Lifestyle treatments:
  • Control stress
  • Avoid foods that trigger spasms
  • Avoid very hot or very cold foods
  • Try sucking on a peppermint, which can act as a muscle relaxant
• Botox® injection: Botox®, a commercial name for botulinum toxin, can be injected into the muscles that control your esophageal sphincter to relax the opening. The results may last anywhere from three months to a year.
• Medication: Two commonly used medicines to treat motility disorders are calcium channel blockers and long-acting nitrates. These medicines are used if surgery is not a choice and symptoms continue even with Botox® injections.
• Pneumatic (balloon) dilation: Using an endoscope, a special balloon is passed through the mouth and into the esophagus, where it is inflated to stretch the restrictive muscles.
• Heller myotomy: During this surgical procedure, the muscles of the esophageal sphincter are cut.
• Per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM): Using an endoscope inserted in the mouth and through the esophagus, surgeons can access and cut abnormal muscle fibers that prevent the valve at the base of the esophagus from opening.