Proctalgia fugax is a common condition causing intense pain around the rectum due to cramping of muscles. It is not usually a sign of a serious medical problem and can be relieved by warm baths, pressure, stretching, and pain relievers. Adjusting diet and lifestyle may also help. Patients can discuss concerns with a doctor.
Proctalgia fugax is intense pain around the rectum that can last from a few seconds to several minutes. The pain is caused by cramping of the muscles around the rectum such as the pubococcygeus muscle and can sometimes be located in the levator ani muscles. This condition is quite common although many patients do not report it, perhaps because they feel shy about discussing the region of the body involved.
Most people with proctalgia fugax have only a few fleeting episodes each year. The pain can last up to 20 minutes and can be accompanied by spasms and cramps. It may feel like a bowel movement is in progress, but it really isn’t. This condition, while painful, is benign and not usually a sign of a more serious medical problem. If the cramps are prolonged and higher up the rectum, the patient may have levator ani syndrome, a related condition.
Commonly, people develop proctalgia fugax at night. There are several ways people can deal with painful muscle spasms. Taking a warm bath or sitting on a hot water bottle sometimes helps, as does applying pressure by sitting on an object like a wrapped tennis ball. Massage around the anus region can also relieve pain, as can thorough stretching. Some people also experience relief when they take pain relievers designed to work quickly.
There is no cure for proctalgia fugax, but patients may find that diet and lifestyle adjustments can help address the problem. Sometimes muscle cramps due to dietary insufficiency and consuming a more varied diet with vitamins and minerals such as potassium can help resolve muscle cramps. Regular stretching can also encourage your muscles to lengthen and strengthen so they’re less likely to cramp.
This condition is not necessarily a cause for concern, but a patient can discuss it with a doctor if there are any concerns. Doctors are used to treating a wide range of symptoms and body parts and while this region of the body is one that patients may feel embarrassed to discuss, a doctor may be able to provide reassurance. If the cramp is accompanied by symptoms elsewhere in the body, it could be a symptom of an underlying medical problem that may need to be addressed. Resolving the problem usually resolves proctalgia fugax as well.
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