Acupuncture & Hemorrhoids

Let’s get personal and talk about the “netheryaya” as Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory would say it. When it comes to hemorrhoids, it is an awkward topic to talk about for sure! So why am I getting brave enough to share TMI about this now? Well, I am in my 4th week of healing from anal surgery and my healing team at N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre keeps commenting on how fast I am healing, so I thought it would behoove me to share some of the most pertinent details of how I chose to go about my healing journey. In this post, I am specifically going to talk about the acupuncture aspect I incorporated and why. In my previous post, I share about the incredible team who performed my surgery and their in-depth post-op healing care, which has been nothing less than AH-MAZING.

Ok, now onto the acupuncture! Yes, there were lots of needles involved! Hehe. Did it hurt? No. I am very used to acupuncture, so I was quite comfortable and relaxed with the process. At times, some needles could be felt a little more; usually this is because my body really needs that needle in that spot. When the point is stimulated by needling, there are several sensations that can be felt little mild tingling or tickling, sometimes it feels like a small jolt of electricity (I like those ones :D), a pulling or pinching sensation, or throbbing. A good practitioner will guide you through this the first time about what to expect and can adapt their needling techniques as your comfort level grows. I am incredibly particular about who I choose for an acupuncturist and won’t just pick someone from an online ad. I won’t get into how I chose and all the boxes they need to check before they can needle me, but I will share that my chosen doctor is Dr. Ali Allen from Botanical Point Acupuncture in Calgary. She has finesse, exceptional energy, and a light about her that speaks to me. However, it was my first treatment with her that set it in stone for her to be my practitioner. Her treatment was EFFECTIVE!

So, when it became clear to me that I would need surgery, I knew I could turn to Dr. Ali for additional healing support. She became an integral part of my healing plan as I mapped out my healing process. I had fix a chronic health issue that had been persistent for over 8 years (because it had been very difficult to diagnose), and I thank my lucky stars for finding N. A. Hemerroids Centre! They were the ones to diagnose by anoscope, the root cause of my incessant itching – yes, insanely itchy every night and morning plus sometimes throughout the day. It got to a point where everything I did was causing more itch – foods, exercise, not exercising, fun bedroom time, sitting for too long, or moving the wrong way. It was seriously wearing on my mental health! I was grateful to learn in depth that I developed an anal fissure, hemorrhoid, and some skin tags. You can read more about my full experience in this post. 

So why did I add the complimentary treatment of acupuncture?  Because of a few reasons: I know I am very reactive to acupuncture (it works for me), I was certain I would need to balance my energy before surgery, during the healing process, and support stronger growth after healing. Along the way, I learned more about the specific aspects of how acupuncture can help with hemorrhoids. First, if you treat your body well and maintain strong spleen Qi (pronounced “chee” and means a form of life energy) you will likely not suffer from hemorrhoids. Ali has written a great article on spleen energy, if you would like to learn more. I have known for a couple of decades that healthy spleen energy is a very good thing; however, I’ll admit that I did choose to live in alternate ways that did not promote strong spleen chi. And makes sense as to why I suffered for so long, plus creating a lot of scar tissue around my problem areas, making so much worse. In fact, upon revisiting how to have a strong spleen, after my pre-surgery acupuncture session showed that my spleen chi was weak and my reiki practitioner commented that she felt zero energy from my spleen, that it was time to fix that! Although I was eating healthy foods, I realized that I was eating a lot of raw foods like big salads and cold meats. One of the big ways to boost spleen chi is cooked veggies and warm foods. Ali writes more about this in her article as well. Over the past 3 weeks, I have switched to warm and hot foods along with my salads and adding 1-3 spleen-boosting foods or recipes into my repertoire. I have also been on a temporary food-restricted diet post-op, details in this post.

When it comes to acupuncture and hemorrhoids, don’t be shy to discuss this with your practitioner. They can work wonders if treated early. It is also very common for hemorrhoids to occur with childbirth. Hemorrhoids can be a genetic condition, and are certainly not limited to obese individuals. Tall, skinny, short, every race, every gender can all experience them – hemorrhoids don’t discriminate! They are uncomfortable A F!! And for some can be very very painful. So, speak up and seek treatment!!! 

Finally, here are the core ways (amongst other aspects) as to how acupuncture and hemorrhoids can work together. With effective acupuncture treatments, they can:

1. Sync spleen chi
2. Strengthen spleen chi with a focus on lifting and holding blood IN the body (if you understand what a hemorrhoid is you know that it is like a part of your body is and/or falling out of its supposed position, downwards, sometimes prolapsing out of the anus).
3. Drain blood downwards (remember, blood carries nutrients your body needs to heal, so blood going down to the netheryaya means it can promote healing in that area)

So, in regular person terminology, acupuncture helps bring your energy upwards and sends blood to the right spots to heal your wounds and makes your body stronger to hold things into their respective places better. And quite frankly, unless you’re highly sensitive like me, you really don’t feel this much at all. The results come over time, while your body heals itself. What you will notice is less irritation symptoms as you heal and can get back to your regular daily activities COMFORTABLY! 

I have written this post first, in my series of healing hemorrhoids, because late summer is SPLEEN CHI SEASON 😀 which I just learned today 😀 I believe a healthy spleen is a founding key to strong and healthy living. So, I must share and spread awareness

Go forth and fortify your spleen for longevity and many happy adventures ahead! 

Check out Botanical Point Acupuncture, owned and operated by Dr. Jessica.

And if you are in extreme anal discomfort, seek out N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre for a consultation, and if you haven’t opened this post about my experience, then click on through now.