What Is Achalasia?

The job of your esophagus is to move food from your mouth to your stomach. When you have achalasia, this process happens slowly or not at all. As a result, food backs up into your esophagus causing many unpleasant side effects, such as regurgitation and chest pain.

Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder, meaning there is a problem with the muscles and nerves responsible for moving food along your digestive tract. When you have achalasia, one of two things is happening:

• You cannot coordinate muscle activity to move food and liquids from your esophagus into your stomach
• The valve at the end of your esophagus (lower esophageal valve) doesn’t open at all or doesn’t open enough to allow food to empty into your stomach

Using a team approach, experts from the Esophagus Center work seamlessly with our Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders Program, offering a level of specialized care available in only a handful of centers across the country.