hyoid bone problems

[shell k]

History of my problem: For as long as I can remember, I have had a problem with my hyoid bone popping out and causing excrutiating pain. It is always the same - the right side of my neck. At about the age of 8 I talked to my pediatrician about it and he promptly told me it was not possible. That I was having anything "pop out" in my neck. He contended that there wasn't anything there that could pop out. So I just continued to push it back into place whenever it popped out. Back then, it was very easy to push back and only lasted a few seconds until I got it back. About 3 years ago, I noticed that this was happening more and more frequently (used to be about 2-3 times per year) Now it was happening about every month and was much harder to push back. Sometimes taking 20 or more minutes. During that time, it was extremely painful to swallow or talk. After I would finally get it pushed back into place, the pain would go away, but my whole neck would be sore up to my ear and through my jaw. It felt bruised, but no visible bruising on the outside. Over the next couple of years, this problem continued to get worse, happening weekly with some minor "slippage" on a daily basis.  Throughout my life, I have talked to various family practice doctors about this problem. They all contended that it must just be a "lump in my throad" like when you get emotional. Or maybe it's just excess head conjestion. Or maybe it's just a muscle spasm. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Whatever the case, no one had ever heard of anything like it and no one ever took me seriously. So, I started researching on my own. I could not find anything that sounded like what I had. I posted questions to "Ask and Expert" all over the web. I did get some respones. all of which started with "wow, that is interesting. Never heard of anything like that before." One physician directed me to find a good ENT. So, I did. He took me seriously. He ran tests - CT scans, swallowing x-rays, blood work, etc. I saw a speech pathologist and everything. The swallowing x-rays showed that my hyoid bone did not more in unison. It appeared that the hyoid, which I'm told forms in the womb from 3 point of origin and then fuses into a solid bone before birth, had never fused into the solid bone at all. The ENT that ran the tests did not feel qualified to handle this case, so he referred me to a colleague who does a lot of throat cancer surgery and work around the hyoid bone. He reviewed the tests and theorized that if we removed the portion of the hyoid that was not firmly attached to the rest of the bone, it should solve the problem. I ran this thought process past the head of Otolaryngology at the Mayo Clinic, who had also never heard of such a problem, and he concurred that this theory did make sense. However, there were no guarantees due to the fact that no one had ever seen or heard of anything like it before. So, I went ahead with the surgery on 10/26/06. It seemed to go well. For 3 months, I had no problems. Then on 1/23/07, it popped again, just like it had always done. I immediately went back to the surgeon who is completely at a loss of what to do. His only recommendation is to do more surgery and remove more of the hyoid bone. However, the more they take out the greater the risk of swallowing issues post-surgery. I'm not sure I'm ready to sign up for that again just yet. Since the 1/23 incident, it has happened 3 more times with the last time being only 2 weeks from the previous episode. I'm worried that this is going to continue to get worse again. If it were only going to happen a couple of times a year, I would just deal with it like I have my whole life. But if it gets back to being almost every day, I can't imagine having to continue to deal with that for the rest of my life. As long as the bone is in place, I have no problems. No swallowing problems, no pain, nothing. I just never know when it's going to pop. I do a lot of public speaking and presentations. My greatest fear is that it will happen in front of an audience. The pain is so sudden and intense that I immediatley burst into tears. This is the main reason I have been pursuing this issues to begin with. Any suggestions? I saw in your archives that a person with the nick name of "creyn" described a similar condition back on 11/22/2004 on this web site. Did anyone ever help her? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Sb4311]

I have it to. Im 19 yrs old. Im in so much pain. It happens like twice a year with me to and it happened tonight and it wont go back in its been 3 hours!!!

[madparsnip]

So glad to know I am not the only one with these Hyoid bone problems! I have been sat here reading for nearly an hour. I want to add my bit. Maybe it will be helpful.

I am 32 and I remember having this 'dislocation' some time during my early teens. I don't know exactly how it started. Frequent chest infections and the associated heavy coughing maybe?. There was a period of about a year when I occasionally would strain my neck in a certain way and the click would happen. Then the panic. What's happened? Why won't it go away? The pain of swallowing or talking as if someone was holding a knife to my throat. It felt like my windpipe had gotten hooked on something and was going to rip open if I kept on swallowing, which of course I would have to eventually. I truly thought I was going to die. Eventually I figured out that yawning released the tension sometimes. Sometimes i could physically click it back in place. After months of anxiety it eventually subsided.

It has on occasion resurfaced over the years. It happened again the other day as I stretched my neck whilst lying down. In that moment of panic I forgot what to do to fix it. 10 mins later I tried yawning and it went back. I know it is real because the area is still sore from it. So today I decided I needed to know if I was in any danger. And thankfully I found this post.

It sounds like there are a lot of varying causes ultimately ending in the Hyoid unhousing itself. So sorry to hear of those of you to whom it has been so chronic and severe. I am glad at least that you have found support from others in the same boat. I think in my case knowing how to fix it quickly is the key to preventing frequent reoccurrence.

I haven't been to the doctors because he already thinks I am having psychosomatic hypoglycemic symptoms. But with this info I might bring it up with him in case there is anything more to it.

I have a hunch that my muscles might be the cause of the problem. I have always felt that they are not up to scratch. If I throw a ball with any force my arm is sore for hours. I seem to be able to strain muscles by merely stretching them. Perhaps the muscles in my neck are equally fickle? Some people have mentioned Hyper-mobility. Muscle abnormalities a likely cause in some people maybe?

About me, I am male, average height, but slim. Asthma and a weakness to respiratory illnesses. Suffer from on and off anxiety and depression. And whatever my doctor thinks, I suffer from low blood sugar frequently.

Hope that helps someone.

[Luca80]

I forgot to add that this pain spreads too at the base of the skull and sometimes it gives a bad headache.

[Luca80]

I posted here some year ago before having the surgery with dr. Berke in Los Angeles. I am italian and apologize for my English.
My issues before the surgery were a clicking sensation when swallowing on the left side of my throat and the feeling of a muscle that was pulling my hyoid bone to the left when talking and swallowing. Any popping sensation.
Unfortunatly the surgery didn't fix this problem, that I am now convinced was from laryngopharingeal reflux, muscle Tension Dysphonia and TMJ.

I had the surgery in august 2010. In the following years it happened from time to time to wake up in the morning with a sharp pain in the opposite side of my hyoid bone. This pain usually disappeared during the morning.
Over time this has heppened more and more frequently, up to nowday when I am in constant pain ( 6 months now)
It's not easy to indicate its exact position: I would say at the base eof the tongue spreading behind the eye and the jaw.

I am writing here in order to know if any other that underwent the surgery is experiencing similar problems.

[Nourina]

Finally, I have found others who know what I am talking about.  I am in my 50's and have had this problem all my life.  It feels just like a bone popping out of place.  I used to be able to make it pop back in place just by moving my jaw, opening my mouth, yawning - anything like that.  

In the past year or so, though, I have had to manipulate it back into place using my hand, and I can push it in and out, in and out, over and over with my fingers.  It clicks loudly with every movement.

The pain goes through my jaw and up into my ear too.  

I had convinced myself that it was cancer of the eosophagus, but I just don't present with any of the other symptoms for that, although I have suffered nightly acid reflux for a few years now, and sometimes, when the pain in my neck is coming and going it does send a burning sensation down through my chest.    

I am very reluctant to see a doctor as I have a fear of being told I have cancer because I would refuse treatments for cancer.  I have no faith whatsoever in any cancer treatments, and I firmly believe that the so called treatment is worse than, and just as deadly as, the actual disease.

I just wonder if many of you - or your doctors - had ever considered the possibility of cancer when you were seeking answers, and if you sought medical examination with that in mind.

[LAJ4life]

I  still have this i am on year two and now i am noticing the muscles in my nose are being affected. Does anyone else have trouble smelling? or pain in there nose? Thank you