What does it mean to have esophageal spasms?

Painful contractions: Esophageal spasm is the painful, simultaneous contraction of the musculature of the esophagus. These muscles generally contract in a peristaltic motion to move a food or liquid bolus from the mouth to the stomach. In some cases the entire esophagus can contract vigorously at the same time leading to chest pain and swallowing difficulty. The most common cause is gastroesophageal reflux (gerd).

Muscle spasm: The esophagus is a tube with muscle that connects the mouth to the stomach. It moves the food toward the stomach but the muscles can contract to much in spasm if irritated.