The throat squeezers
Pharyngeal constrictor muscles
Three overlapping muscles that squeeze food down your throat when you swallow.
What it does
The upper, middle and lower constrictor muscles wrap around the back and sides of the throat like stacked cups. When you swallow, they contract in sequence from top to bottom, squeezing the food or drink down into the oesophagus.
Surprising fact
The lowest constrictor contains a ring of muscle that stays closed between swallows, stopping air from rushing into your stomach every time you breathe.
Why it matters
Weakness in these muscles after a stroke can make swallowing unsafe, letting food or drink slip into the airway.
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.