Hi Everyone! I have the ANSWER!!!! First, go to a cervical spinal specialist, so they can refer you to a Physical Therapist who focuses on TMJ and the cervical neck area. Please read on. I have been trying to find the answer for over 20 years! It's a horrific muscle spasm in the Longs Colli... Basically, a Charlie Horse in your throat.

I've had this issue since I was a teenager, only on the left side of my throat. I'm in my forties now, and I could always "pop" it back into place, but I lived in fear it would happen again; well, it did on May 27, 2024. I stood up to stretch my arms over me head, and BAM! The pain was a level 10. I couldn't get it to pop back into place for 15 minutes. Fast forward to the ER. It hurt too much to talk, so I typed my answers on my phone. Swallowing was horrendous. It felt like a butcher knife in my throat. After 5 hours of constant pain, getting a shot of Tramadol and getting a CT scan with and without contrast, I was released from the pain. It took 2 hours for the Tramadol to kick in. I was given another shot of steroids, and my diagnosis? A sore throat! They gave me a prescription for more steroids.

I went to an ENT 2 days later. She said since I could STILL swallow and talk, it was not my throat. I was fine, and I should make an appointment with a cervical spinal specialist/surgeon. It took weeks to get in... X-Rays showed nothing. He gave me a referral for a Physical Therapist. Luckily, I worked part-time with an amazing PT whose focus was on the head and neck. The problem was a muscle spasm in the Longs Colli. Yes, PT hurts, especially the dry needling, but it helps!!!
I hope and pray all of you know that you are NOT crazy, and that, yes, a muscle spasm in your throat can be fixed through physical therapy. Please share with anyone who has this crazy issue! My PT has been in the business for 30 years, and she's never experienced this with any patient.
Good luck, Everyone! You're going to be okay.