A young woman arrived in my office with a sensation of having “something caught in my throat.” She felt this sensation while swallowing and described it as “a lump in my throat.” She went to the Western medical doctors and, after examining her throat, found no physical obstruction. They offered her little explanation or relief from her condition.
In Chinese medicine we know of a condition called “plum-pit qi (mei he qi).” This condition is experienced as a sensation in the throat of a foreign body that can be neither be swallowed nor ejected.
When researching the Western medical literature, I did find a diagnosis that represented my patient’s condition: it is called “Globus Hystericus.” Accordingly, this condition is described as a sensation of a lump in the throat causing difficulty swallowing when there is no physical cause. It is noted that this is a Freudian diagnosis. The most common cause according to the Western texts is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
All of my research was interesting but this patient had absolutely no signs of digestive distress. I needed to stay with a treatment plan according to Chinese medicine and relieve the “plum-pit qi.”
Her treatment plan was targeted to create a smooth flow of emotions and to free up the area around the throat. We began with four sessions of acupuncture and two weeks of herbal treatment.
At the end of the first month, the sensation of having something stuck in the throat had been present only twice.  Both times this sensation occurred during extremely stressful work-related situations. I then taught the patient visualization and meditation techniques in order to manage internal stress and resume the free flow of energy. At this point, we began to meet twice a month for acupuncture. Herbs were used during times of increased stress.
After the second month, the patient was free from the sensation of having something stuck in her throat. She has had no recurrence of these episodes in the past eight months. Presently, we meet for acupuncture “tune-ups” approximately every three weeks, one week before the onset of her menses. As many of the readers know, the week prior to the onset of the menstrual period can be a tense and often emotional time. Giving treatment at this time of the cycle helps to keep everything moving freely and to ensure that the “plum-pit qi” does not return.
Congratulations to my patient for making all of the necessary lifestyle changes to support the course of treatment and her personal health success. She has been able to manage her own stress levels by participating in yoga, meditation, and a slower paced lifestyle. She has also improved her overall diet and energy level. Nice work!!!!