Throat massage and gentle pressure
Quick summary
- Some people on r/noburp say gentle massage around the voice box (Adam's apple) helped them start burping.
- Never punch, hit, chop or squeeze your throat. It can damage your airway, and some people in old posts did this. Please don't.
- Massage around the voice box is a real speech therapy technique for voice problems, but it hasn't been tested for R-CPD.
What do people mean by throat massage?
The ring of muscle that won't open in R-CPD sits just below your voice box. Some people gently massage around the voice box (the Adam's apple) and the ring of cartilage under it, called the cricoid. They hope it loosens tight muscles in the area. A few people also saw a chiropractor.
How do people do it?
These are patient reports, not instructions from a doctor. If you want to try it, be very gentle.
- Sit or stand up straight and relax your shoulders.
- Find your voice box. It's the bump in the middle of the front of your neck that moves when you swallow.
- Use two fingertips to make small, soft circles on the front of the voice box and just below it. Light pressure only, like rubbing in cream.
- Keep to the middle. Never press on the sides of your neck, where you can feel a pulse.
- Try for a minute or two, then try to relax into the burp when a gurgle comes.
One person said they did cricoid massages for 6 months (opens in a new tab) along with other exercises, and then started getting small burps. Another said a chiropractor adjusted me and from that day forward started burping (opens in a new tab). These are single stories.
What should I never do?
The old r/noburp self-cure post included things like throat punching. Even its author said don't go punching yourself in the throat (opens in a new tab). We agree. Hitting, chopping or squeezing your throat can damage your voice box and airway. A "choke hold" is never safe.
What do people with R-CPD say?
“after two weeks i was able to get the first little burp out, by massaging the crocoid, when the air needs to get out. After that i started to burp more and more”
“gently pushing my Adam's apple to the right, and 2) titling my head to the right side and down a little (as if you're looking at your shoulder).”
“I walked into that session a non burper and walked out a burper. Couldn't tell you exactly what he did to adjust me but he did something right.”
Patient reports. Short quotes, linked to the original post. We leave out usernames.
What does the evidence say?
- No study has tested throat massage for R-CPD.
- Speech and language therapists do use massage around the voice box for some voice problems. A review found it can help, but said the evidence base remains extremely small (opens in a new tab).
- The NHS says therapies like chiropractic are not tested in the same way as standard medicines to see how well they work (opens in a new tab).
Frequently asked questions
Can throat massage help you burp?
A few people with R-CPD say gentle massage around the voice box helped them (patient reports (opens in a new tab)). It hasn't been tested for R-CPD, so we don't know if it really works.
Is it safe to press on my throat to burp?
Light massage on the front of the voice box is gentle. But never punch, chop or squeeze your throat, and never press on the sides of your neck, which can make some people faint (opens in a new tab).
Can a chiropractor fix R-CPD?
One person on r/noburp said a chiropractor visit helped them (patient report (opens in a new tab)). There's no research on it, and the NHS says these therapies are not tested in the same way as standard medicines (opens in a new tab).
Sources
- Mathieson 2011, laryngeal manual therapies review (opens in a new tab)
- NHS: Herbal medicines and complementary therapies (opens in a new tab)
- StatPearls: Carotid sinus hypersensitivity (opens in a new tab)
- r/noburp self-cure megapost (Internet Archive copy) (opens in a new tab) (patient reports)
Other things people try
- Shaker exercise (head lift)Lie flat and lift your head to look at your toes. The exercise people mention most.23 of 120 people mention it
- Relaxing into the burpNotice the gurgle, relax your throat and let it come up. Don't force it.78 of 120 people mention it
- Side neck sit upsLie on your side and lift your head towards the ceiling. Often done with the Shaker.12 of 120 people mention it
- Throat massage and pressureGentle massage around the voice box. Never hitting or squeezing your neck.21 of 120 people mention it
- Back, chest, yoga and postureGym work, yoga, physio for the back, and sitting up straight.23 of 120 people mention it
- Fizzy drinks and positionsLying on your left side, chin tucks, head turns, and practising with a fizzy drink.47 of 120 people mention it
- Swallowing airA few people gulp air to practise. It can make bloating worse, so read the warnings.25 of 120 people mention it
- Diet: less gasLow FODMAP, fewer fizzy drinks, eating slowly. Can ease symptoms while you try other things.7 of 120 people mention it
- HypnosisThe only non-Botox, non-surgery case in the medical papers so far.Backed by one published case
- Speech therapy and physio (BERP)A therapist teaches you positions to let a burp out. Tested in a small study.7 of 120 people mention it
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