People will contact us with a diagnosis or symptoms of Clicking Larynx Syndrome. The diagnosis aptly describes the patients’ condition. It is an audible clicking or snapping in the throat. It is typically caused by a problem of the thyroid cartilage (which is the main structure of the larynx) and hyoid bone coming into contact with the cervical spine.
The thyroid cartilage protects the larynx along with its internal components, such as the vocal cords. It offers a structural foundation for the muscles responsible for voice production and respiration and stabilizes the larynx, preventing it from collapsing.
Cervical spine instability is an often overlooked cause of this problem. Instability in the neck caused by weakened or damaged cervical spine ligaments can lead to wandering structures in the neck and the abnormal curvature of the cervical vertebrae. Excessive instability in the neck can lead to compression of nerves and veins and arteries.