Oesophageal motor functions and its disorders

Abstract

Primary motor disorders of the oesophagus affect neural as well as muscular elements of the oesophagus and LOS. It is tempting to speculate that these disorders represent a hypertrophic myopathic state of the oesophagus secondary to LOS dysfunction, and neural dysfunction may be secondary. The relationship between pain and muscle hypertrophy in primary motor disorders is worthy of investigation. Dysphagia of primary oesophageal motor disorders is easier to treat than pain; the latter could be debilitating. Muscle relaxants acting at the peripheral level do not appear be the answer for treatment of dysphagia and pain of primary motor disorders. On the other hand, blockade of either primary sensory nociceptor at the peripheral level or receptors involved in oesophageal hypersensitivity at the peripheral/central level in the management of oesophageal pain deserves exploration.