Middle pharyngeal muscle :
MUSCLE DETAILS:
The middle pharyngeal constrictor is a fan-shaped sheet-like muscle of the pharynx. This muscle, along with the superior and inferior pharyngeal constrictors, forms the bulk of the pharyngeal wall.
The pharyngeal constrictor muscles create a peristaltic wave that facilitates passage of the food bolus inferiorly, from the pharynx towards the esophagus, during the act of deglutition.
ORIGIN :
Stylohyoid ligament, a greater and lesser horn of hyoid bone.
INSERTION :
Median pharyngeal raphe, blends with superior and inferior pharyngeal constrictors.
NERVE SUPPLY :
Pharyngeal branch of ascending pharyngeal artery; tonsillar branch of facial artery.
Blood supply :
The ascending pharyngeal artery, the lingual artery, and the ascending and descending palatine arteries.
The arterial supply of the pharyngeal region comes from the facial artery.
ACTION :
Constricts wall of pharynx during swallowing.
STRENGTHENING EXERCISE:
Effortful swallow :
- Push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth,
- Swallow “hard” with effort,
- Pretend you are swallowing a golf ball.
Tongue-hold swallow :
- Hold your tongue gently between your teeth,
- Swallow your saliva with your tongue in this position.
Mendelsohn maneuver :
- Begin a regular swallow,
- As you feel your larynx move in an upward direction, squeeze your muscles,
- Maintain this position for up to 5 seconds,
- Relax and finish the swallow.
RELATED PATHOLOGY:
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs while patients are asleep and their breathing cycle is somewhat inhibited. This ailment has more than one cause however oropharyngeal collapse during sleep is one of the most common.
The etiology behind it has been linked to smoking and obesity. Incessant smoking had been proven to increase the edematous swelling of the mucosa, whereas obesity increases the fat deposits around the pharynx.
