PROCTALGIA FUGAX Exercises| 4 Ways to Relieve ANAL PAIN FAST!

Proctalgia Fugax exercises and treatments at home can quickly relieve sudden onset anal pain.

Proctalgia Fugax is thought to involve temporary spasm of the pelvic floor muscles. Sudden anal pain and rectal pain associated with this condition can be a frightening experience. Fortunately this condition may be remedied with simple exercises and techniques at home.

Please scroll down for more information on Proctalgia Fugax exercises at home.

Proctalgia Fugax Exercises Timestamps

0:00 What is Proctalgia Fugax
0:24 Proctalgia Fugax causes
0:45 Proctalgia Fugax symptoms
1:32 Proctalgia Fugax treatment
1:34 Pelvic muscle spasm release
2:41 Pelvic floor muscle stretching
3:28 Hot water bath
4:20 Deep breathing exercises

Proctalgia Fugax Symptoms

Proctalgia Fugax symptoms include:

• Brief episode of anal pain or lower rectal pain
• May occur during the day or wake you at night
• Pain can feel very severe at times
• There is no anal pain or rectal pain in between acute episodes of pain
• Anal pain lasts from a few seconds to minutes (always less than 20 minutes in duration)

Consult with your medical practitioner to diagnose Proctalgia Fugax and exclude other possible causes of anal pain rather than self diagnosing anal pain.

Proctalgia Fugax Causes

The causes of Proctalgia Fugax are not fully understood. This condition is thought to involve spasm of the external anal sphincter which forms part of the pelvic floor muscles in both men and women.

Proctalgia Fugax is not a serious medical condition. Anxiety may be linked to this condition so it may help to keep this fact in mind when dealing with muscle spasm. Stress and anxiety may increase muscle spasm in the pelvic floor muscles.

Proctalgia Fugax Treatments

These natural treatments including Proctalgia Fugax exercises are mostly directed towards relieving pelvic floor muscle spasm.

1. Pelvic Muscle Spasm Release – Massage and Pressure

Self massage may be gently applied to the pelvic floor muscles around the anus in a number of ways;

Gentle pressure may be applied to the anus by sitting on a rolled towel and rocking side to side or front to back (shown below)

Massage gently around the inner buttocks and anus using using a tennis ball to relieve anal muscle spasm.

2. Knees to Chest Stretch ‘Happy Baby’ Yoga Pose

Kaufman (1982) advocates adopting the lying down knees to chest position exercise position during an acute episode to relieve Proctalgia Fugax anal discomfort.

This Proctalgia Fugax exercise is similar to the ‘Happy Baby’ yoga pose (shown above). While adopting this stretch position, grasp the inner buttocks with each hand as if to draw them apart and expel gas. This position may apply gentle stretch to the external anal spincter to help relieve muscle spasm.

3. Hot Water Bath

Potter and Bartolo (2001) recommend taking a hot water bath to relieve anal pain associated with Proctalgia Fugax. Hot water bath at 40 degrees C (104 degrees Farenheit) has been shown to reduce anal canal pressure².

Taking a warm shower and allowing the warm water to pass across the anus may provide similar benefits to assist with pelvic floor muscle relaxation.

4. Deep Breathing Proctalgia Fugax Exercises

The deep breathing exercise technique known as diaphragmatic breathing assists pelvic floor muscle relaxation. This is one of the Proctalgia Fugax exercises.

In order to perform deep breathing exercises for pelvic floor relaxation, position both hands over the lower abdomen, breathe into the lower belly and down through the pelvic floor in the area between the two sitting bones. Breathe in and expand the lower belly so that you gently bulge down through the anus. Then allow the air to gently leave your lungs rather than forcing exhalation.

Medical Management of Proctalgia Fugax

If you have ongoing Proctalgia Fugax, see your doctor for further management which may include medication (Jeyarajah et al 2010).

Alternatively you may choose to consult with a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist for Proctalgia Fugax exercises and treatment techniques. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapists are trained to administer treatments that relieve pelvic floor tension and muscle spasm.

References

1. Potter M and Bartolo D (2001) Proctalgia Fugax. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 13(11):1289–1290. https://journals.lww.com/eurojgh/Fulltext/2001/11000/Proctalgia_fugax.4.aspx

2. Kaufman, W. Treatment of proctalgia fugax. Digest Dis Sci 27, 955 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01316583

3. Jeyarajah, S., Chow, A., Ziprin, P., Tilney, H., & Purkayastha, S. (2010). Proctalgia fugax, an evidence-based management pathway. International journal of colorectal disease, 25(9), 1037-1046. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00384-010-0984-8