Co-Written by Dr. Emily Wilson, DPT

Have you ever been so upset about something that it felt like you had a lump in your throat that lingers for hours, maybe even days? 

Can you recall a time when you had something to say but instead of expressing yourself (maybe you didn’t feel safe to), you choke up and feel like you have to swallow your words and fight back tears instead?

Well, there is a name for this exact sensation: it’s called Plumpit Qi and it is the main feature of Plumstone Syndrome (Mei He Qi) in in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

What is Plumpit Qi?

Like its name implies, this symptom leaves you with an uncomfortable lump-like sensation in the throat that doesn’t go away with swallowing or drinking water. It can be accompanied by a tightness or heaviness in the chest and a feeling of suffocation as if you ingested a piece of food that was too big or (yep) the pit from a plum.

How Does it Form?

Plumpit Qi is one of a few symptoms whose root cause (etiology) is purely emotional in nature, due to the active repression or subconscious withholding of one’s feelings. This syndrome is most common in those who struggle with depression. 

In TCM, depression is described not just as a low mood, but the inhibited (i.e. depressed) flow of vital energy (Qi) and Blood through the body. When Qi and Blood cannot move freely through the meridians, they stagnate. You can envision blocked meridians like slow-running streams with alcoves of still water where algae is left to grow. Over time, those areas fester and prevent nutrients from traveling downstream. This is why when circulation is hindered for long enough due to depression, physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual symptoms of disharmony arise. 

Given how Plumpit Qi is rooted in emotional disharmony, a physical obstruction or irritation can manifest and be detected from endoscopic imaging (like esophageal tears, goiter, thyroid tumors, etc.) but, not always…. 

If you are wondering, “Then how can Plumpit Qi create such an uncomfortable sensation if it can’t be seen?” Well, here is why...

Plumpit Qi indicates the presence of Phlegm.

Visible & Invisible Phlegm

In TCM, Phlegm is a pathogenic substance that forms from Qi Stagnation. Here’s the catch: it can be visible or invisible. 

When phlegm is dense in its physical form, it can be tangible-but-loose like the mucus from nasal congestion or solidified in masses from ovarian cysts to tumors like those I mentioned above. However, Plumpit Qi traditionally indicates the presence of “Qi-Phlegm,” the most ethereal (aka invisible) type of Phlegm.  

When invisible, we (in the world of Acupuncture) say Phlegm “clouds” the mind and spirit. Like a thick fog, invisible phlegm is, at its core, trapped energy that has a way of settling in areas of the body used for assessing our external environment and expressing ourselves in it: the eyes, mind, and throat. 

For example...When holding space for clients, I can tell if invisible phlegm is present when there is a dull look in their eyes, or they have trouble maintaining eye contact while we talk. They can struggle with specific words or remembering what they were going to say. 

Of course with invisible phlegm as Plumpit Qi, they might clear their throat, gulp frequently, or suddenly bring their fingers to their neck as if to make sure their airways are clear when approaching an emotionally sensitive topic. 

Metaphysical Symbolism

Because of Plumpit Qi’s association with holding-in one’s emotions (ie. not feeling safe to speak your truth), I often observe this symptom in those who identify as Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and Empaths. No matter if their disposition is prone to hyper-vigilance or being reserved, metaphysically, Plumpit Qi is prominent with fear of self-expression. A fear of being seen or heard for their authentic self. 

Depending on emotions being harbored, identifying the organ systems affected is an important step to alleviating Plumpit Qi. This is because in TCM, each organ generates a specific emotion. 

Although despair (Heart), grief (Lungs), and worry (Spleen) tend to be the main causes of Plumpit Qi, resentment/anger (Liver), shock/guilt (Galbladder), Fear/Shame (Kidney) are considered in the context of my client’s constitution and story. 

Aside from creating a blockage in the throat, there is another place these very emotions get stored in the body: the womb & pelvic floor.

The Pelvic Floor & Plumpit Qi

Dysfunction in the pelvic floor - or a disconnect from one’s womb space - is often evident in women with Plumpit Qi. Interestingly enough, Plumstone Syndrome was first described in the text Syndromes and Treatments of Miscellaneous Gynecological Diseases and the Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chest, circa 220 AD. This ancient observation speaks to the prevalence of the throat-womb connection in women’s health to this day, even if the language used to understand it was steeped in a different medical paradigm.

From my clinical observation over the years it is not uncommon for women with Plumpit Qi to also have/experience:

• Pelvic Pain

• Endometriosis

• History of Trauma

• Incontinence 

• Painful Periods

Because of how Acupuncture’s physical and energetic channels disperse across different regions of the body, it’s important to understand that the impact of the Plumpit Qi on the pelvis is a two-way street. For example, in clinic, I have seen clients who experience Jaw Pain that gets worse around their menstrual cycle or at any time of the month creates discomfort in their pelvic floor.

To explore this relationship and its implications for reclaiming not only your voice but womb’s wisdom, Pelvic Health Physical Therapist Dr. Emily Wilson of Pelvic Wisdom Physical Therapy shares her expertise on this connection.

The Throat-Womb Connection with Dr. Emily Wilson

Did you know that the vocal cords have a striking resemblance to the pelvic floor? 

The “cervix”, the Latin word for neck (of the uterus) and the throat are both supported by a hammock-like set of diaphragmatic muscles which move in tandem with respiration. During an inhale the lungs fill with air pushing our diaphragms downward (aka relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles) verse with an exhale the diaphragms move upward towards the head (the pelvic floor does a natural lifting or kegel like motion here).  These tissues move together but let’s dive deeper into why and how they are connected.

Embryologically speaking the throat and the womb develop next to each other and then grow away from each other as the embryo grows. Due to this formation the throat has a fascial connection to the pelvic floor.  Fascia can be defined as an interconnected web of soft tissue that encases the entire body and laces between individual muscles and organs.  This particular fascial line runs from the tip of the coccyx (tailbone) to the tip of the tongue. 

Try This: If you put the tongue to the roof of your mouth can you feel a tightening or upward motion of the pelvic floor?  Now relax the tongue down letting it rest.  Can you feel a relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles when you do this?   

Going deeper into the anatomy and connection of these two powerful areas in the body we look at the nervous system.

The Vagus Nerve is the longest and most complex of the 12 cranial nerves!  It contributes to the autonomic nervous system, which consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system which is in charge of rest, digestion (aka it’s a big deal). Originating from the brain, the vagus nerve innervates our throat allowing us to speak our mind and our truth and goes on to terminate in the cervix at the center of the pelvic floor both of which can be affected by our stress levels and our breathing patterns. 

Why The Disconnect?

Energetically speaking, when we have throat chakra issues, there are usually womb issues present.  If the ability to speak our truth and speak our mind is hindered by ourselves or others it is seen to have tightness in the throat, a constriction or as Dr. Lauren describes Plumpit Qi.  The same tension pattern is most likely happening in your womb space but is less likely to be observed within the body. 

There are usually a few reasons for this disconnection.  The pelvis is considered a taboo region of our body especially in American culture. We rarely receive any education about the pelvic floor, let alone how to connect to it or feel it.  If you have suffered a difficult birth, experience leaking of urine or bowels, or have pelvic pain scientifically speaking, our brain would rather disconnect from this space within our bodies.  This disconnect turns into inability to perceive what this area of our body is trying to tell us. 

Common Symptoms

I see this womb/throat connect with patients often in the clinic.  A few common themes that have been emerging lately are: not feeling comfortable with their sexuality and being unable to voice this, discomfort with feeling feminine or being seen as feminine, feeling unheard by family/partner/friends, not feeling like they can show up fully in their intuition and not speaking their truth. 

These patients are presenting with pelvic floor symptoms that include:

• pelvic pain,

• pain with intimacy

• constipation,

• bowel and bladder incontinence (leakage),

• low back pain and or hip pain

• overall disconnection from the pelvis

  (because it hurts, it leaks or you hold a painful memory here) 

If you feel a sense of disconnection here you are not alone!  This is our body trying to keep us safe, there is no shame or judgement, in fact I’ve been there too. 

Try This: A small exercise for those of you feeling a sense of disconnection: take a deep breath with a hand on your womb space if this feels comfortable while saying this phrase “thank you body for keeping me safe”.  Take a few deep breaths here while honoring the wisdom of your body.

In the clinic I work to first honor the body and patient where they are at in their bodies and then if comfortable and ready we can look into the deeper reasons for this disconnection.  When we can tune into the deeper energetic/emotional component of the reason for their pelvic floor tension, I find that healing results become long lasting.  Not only have we released the muscle tension but we’ve listened to what the body is telling us and released the energetic component that was causing the symptoms or disconnection of the pelvis.  I am so honored to watch patients heal on this deep energetic level and come home to themselves.  Every patient’s journey is different and the treatments are tailored to the individual patient but the result is always the same, me in happy tears.

5 Ways to Reclaim Your Voice & Womb’s Wisdom

Experiment with Self-Expression

This instills your nervous system with signals of safety: messages that convey “I am safe to say this, I deserve to hold space for myself, my truth and experiences are worthy of being shared, and I am not being attacked/ridiculed/judged (etc).” You can begin by writing your thoughts in a journal—burn the pages after if that makes you more comfortable. Not a writer? Record voice or video memos on your phone—again, deleting after if that makes you feel safer. By allowing yourself to sit with and process your feelings, this can help begin to clear blockages in your throat as well as the organs/meridians affected by keeping it stuck inside. ~ Dr. Lauren

More of an energetic exercise would be to notice what happens when you don’t speak the truth. Is there a tightness in your throat?  Is there a tightness of drawing in and up of the pelvic floor?  Can you reverse this tension with the next exercise?  Maybe you can go back and speak your truth and see how that changes the feeling in your pelvic floor. ~ Dr. Emily

Amplify to Soothe

Sing, hum, vocalize, sigh and maybe even try groaning or moaning.  Notice how that feels in the pelvis area.  Any type of created vibration in the throat is a powerful was to stimulate the vagus nerve and ‘tone’ the nervous system to help shift the body from a state of alertness, hyper-vigilance and stress to a place of relaxation and calmness. When your mouth and throat relax, so does your pelvic floor.  Can you feel it open and soften? ~ Dr. Emily

If singing, choose music that is truly cathartic and moving - something that connects to the emotions you are carrying. By exercising the larynx and energetically opening the heart (they all share a physically connected by the Ren Main Meridian in TCM or Vagus Nerve as Dr. Emily shared), you are again giving yourself (plus your nervous system) the opportunity to regulate itself while literally using your voice. In doing so, you can guide your body to clear stagnation that creates Plumpit Qi and dysfunction in the Pelvic Floor. ~ Dr. Lauren

Talk To Someone Trusted

Whether this is a licensed professional to a dear friend, give yourself permission to specifically address what’s bothering you. As one of my favorite quotes by Alex Elle goes: “Being resilient isn’t synonymous with not needing support.” 

Reconnect With Your Womb Space

Find a quiet space in your home or outside in nature to sit undisturbed in silence.  Find a comfortable position to relax into.  Guide your hands to your womb space above your pubic bone if this is comfortable for you.  Relax your shoulders down, let the jaw soften and take 10 deep belly breaths, trying to breath down to the pelvic floor and feel a soft outward movement of the lower abdomen under your hands with your inhale. Connect into how this feels in your throat space and your pelvic floor area.  Whenever you are feeling pain, tension or experiencing symptoms like urinary or bowel incontinence practice this deep diaphragmatic breathing for relief.

Gather Gemstone Allies

Remember when Dr. Emily mentioned the vibrations created by different sound? Well if you are open-minded and inclined to exploring the energetic resonance that certain gemstones have on specific areas of the body, here are a few that you can connect with.

For the Throat Chakra: Sodalite, Aquamarine, Blue Lapis Lazuli and Kyanite all have metaphysical properties intended to open the throat so you can speak your truth with courage and ease. Hold in your non-dominant hand while journaling, singing; carry it in your pocket or a cherished place to support open communication during your daily interactions or work if it requires creative self-expression. You can find one as a necklace to rest over the throat or lay with a piece over your throat during a meditation… see what works for you.

For the Sacral Chakra (connected to the Womb): Rose Quartz, Carnelian, and Moonstone have traditionally selected for working on issues related to women’s health, menstrual irregularities, and supporting an intuitive connection with the ancestral wisdom stored in your womb space. To amplify, add your stone of choice to the meditation Dr. Emily suggests with the hand that rests over your womb.

As with all things, investigate & use your intuition to see what stones you feel called to work with.

~ Thank you for reading ~

Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not meant to assess, diagnose or treat any medical condition.

BEHIND THE JOURNAL