An esophageal manometry test is a study of your esophageal motility (motor function). Your esophagus is the muscular swallowing tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. Muscles in your esophagus move food down to your stomach when you swallow and keep it from coming back up. But certain esophageal disorders can interfere with this process, causing swallowing problems and reflux.
A healthcare provider might want to check your esophageal motility if you’ve been having issues related to swallowing or keeping food and other substances down in your stomach. If you’re having a manometry test, it’s likely you’ve already had an imaging test to look for structural problems in your esophagus. If imaging can’t explain your symptoms, motility testing might be the next step.
Possible symptoms of esophageal motility disorders include:
Manometry is a measurement of pressure, using a pressure-sensing device called a manometer. It detects the pressure that different muscles produce when they activate. An esophageal manometry test measures two types of muscle activity in your esophagus. It measures the movements that carry food downward (peristalsis) and how the valves at the top and bottom of your esophagus open and close.
Abnormal pressure in these muscles might help explain your symptoms and diagnose certain conditions, including:
