Rectal Pain Treatment

Self-Care at Home

• Proctalgia fugax (sudden severe pain in the anus): Because the pain lasts so briefly, there is no treatment that will stop an attack of proctalgia fugax.
• Levator ani syndrome (spasm of small muscles in the rectum): You can help stop an attack of levator ani syndrome with the following techniques.
  • Sit in a tub of hot water.
  • Massage the levator ani muscles to relieve the muscle spasm.
  • Take over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

• Hemorrhoids: The following treatments can help lessen the discomfort of a painful hemorrhoid.
  • Sit in a tub of hot water for 20 minutes several times a day.
  • Apply over-the-counter hemorrhoid creams, especially those containing hydrocortisone.
  • Take stool softeners and extra fiber to lessen pain with bowel movements.

• Anal fissures: These home treatments will promote healing of anal fissures.
  • Sit in a tub of hot water for 20 minutes, 3 times a day, to reduce pain and help healing.
  • Eat a high-fiber diet and use stool softeners to make bowel movements less painful.
  • Apply hydrocortisone creams to decrease pain.

Medical Treatment

• Because proctalgia fugax attacks last for such a brief period of time, no treatment acts fast enough to stop an attack. Currently there are no medications to prevent an attack.
• To help control the pain of levator ani syndrome, your doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication or a muscle relaxer.
• The best time to treat a thrombosed hemorrhoid is in the first 48 hours. If you see your doctor in this time period, a simple office procedure can bring instant relief. After the hemorrhoid is injected with an anesthetic, a small incision is made and the blood clot is removed. If you are seen after the first 48 hours, treatment for the hemorrhoid is the same as the home treatment recommendations.
• To help heal an anal fissure, your doctor may give you some prescription creams or stool softeners. If the fissure does not heal, a simple office procedure called a sphincterotomy may be needed. A small nick is made in the anal sphincter to decrease the muscle tone.