What Is “Yürek Kalkması”? Symptoms and the Traditional Approach

“Yürek kalkması” — literally “the heart rising” — is not a medical diagnosis but a Turkish folk expression. People use it to describe a feeling of tightness under the breastbone, a pull in the pit of the stomach, as if the heart had “moved out of place”. In this article we explain how it is described, what the traditional approach says and, above all, when you should see a doctor without delay.

How is it described?

The feeling often appears after a shock, grief, fear or long periods of stress, which is why it is also linked to emotions. Commonly described complaints include:

• Tightness, burning or a heavy feeling in the upper stomach,
• Loss of appetite, feeling full quickly or nausea,
• Feeling unable to take a deep breath,
• Palpitations, restlessness and tension,
• Tension spreading between the shoulder blades.

What else could these symptoms mean?

Chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations and heartburn can be signs of many conditions — from reflux, gastritis, muscle tension and anxiety to heart and lung disease. “Yürek kalkması” is a description, not an explanation. If you have such complaints, the first step is to be assessed by a doctor.

Call emergency services (112) immediately if you have

• Crushing chest pain lasting more than a few minutes,
• Pain spreading to the left arm, jaw, neck or back,
• Cold sweats, feeling faint or marked shortness of breath,
• Sudden palpitations that do not settle,
• New chest complaints with heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure.

The traditional approach

In folk tradition, something that has “risen” between the chest and the abdomen is gently settled back into place. Today we would describe this as relaxing the muscles around the diaphragm, the abdomen and the upper back. Under stress our breathing becomes shallow and these areas tense up; slow, rhythmic massage and calm breathing can help you feel more at ease.

What happens in a session?

We always start by listening: how long you have had the complaints, whether you have seen a doctor and which medication you take. If there are warning signs, we do not perform the session and refer you to a doctor. Otherwise the 45-minute session combines relaxing the back and shoulders, slow clockwise circles around the abdomen, gentle work along the lower ribs and breathing exercises — never to the point of pain.

In short

Yürek kalkması is a valuable cultural expression for a feeling many people know. Traditional massage may help you relax, but it never replaces a medical assessment. If your complaints are new, getting worse or include any of the warning signs above, see a doctor first.