Muscle Tension Dysphagia (MTDg) was originally described by Kang and colleagues in 2016.1 Like muscle tension dysphonia, MTDg is a condition whereby hyperactive and discoordinated muscle activity is hypothesized to be the underlying cause of a patient’s dysphagia. However, as with any new clinical entity, it is important to establish clearly defined diagnostic criteria. This is especially important given the sharp rise in clinical and research interests related to MTDg.2–7

Paramount to the practice of medicine is the tenant of “do no harm.” Inappropriate labeling of individuals with MTDg without proper evaluation can lead to a delay in the diagnosis of potentially life-threatening disease. Lack of clear diagnostic criteria can also negatively impact how research findings generalize across studies and to clinical practice. Therefore, there is a critical need to improve the transparency and standardization of the diagnosis of MTDg for both clinical and research purposes. It is our hope that this article will begin to address this gap by proposing a standardized framework used to carefully and comprehensively guide the diagnosis and management of MTDg in both clinical and research practices.