Why It’s Necessary: If you have trouble swallowing, experience non-cardiac chest pain, or have persistent acid reflux, esophageal manometry can help us figure out exactly what’s going on. This test measures the muscle contractions and pressure within your esophagus, helping us diagnose specific swallowing disorders like achalasia, esophageal spasms, or other motility problems that can’t be seen with an endoscopy.

How It’s Done: A very thin, flexible tube is gently passed through your nose and into your esophagus. You will be sitting upright during the procedure, and we will apply a numbing spray to make you as comfortable as possible. As you swallow sips of water, the tube measures the strength and coordination of your esophageal muscles. The procedure takes about 20-30 minutes and provides us with a detailed “map” of your swallowing function.

Precautions: You will be asked to fast for a number of hours before the test. It’s important to let us know if you are taking any medications that might affect muscle function.