Behavioral treatment of intractable chest pain in a patient with vigorous achalasia.
Overview
abstract
Chest pain is a major symptom of patients diagnosed with esophageal motility abnormalities. Motility disorders of the esophagus are also associated with elevated scores on measures of somatic anxiety and depression. In spite of this relationship between psychological characteristics and esophageal motility disturbances, few attempts have been made to treat complaints of chest pain in patients with esophageal motility disorders using psychological methods. This report describes the successful use of a behavioral pain management program for the treatment of persistent chest pain in a patient diagnosed with vigorous achalasia who was previously treated with pneumatic dilatation and a long Heller myotomy. This is the first report on the use of psychotherapy in treating chest pain associated with vigorous achalasia, and suggests that, in the etiology and treatment of chest pain in patients with esophageal motility disturbances, psychological influences may be more important than has generally been recognized. No long-term relationship between esophageal motility disturbances and complaints of chest pain was found.
