An NHS doctor has said that if you are going about your daily life and are all of a sudden stopped in your tracks with pain, you could have proctalgia fugax. This happens when pain or cramping is felt around your buttocks and rectum – and it can be pretty painful.
According to WebMD, “because proctalgia fugax is unpredictable, it is difficult for doctors to diagnose or researchers to study.” But there is a way to try and prevent it with foods.
Revealing the natural methods you can try first, Dr Karan Raj aka @dr.karanr said that you don’t need to take medication if you don’t want to, but the option is there.
The doctor is a UK-based NHS surgeon, university lecturer and author who has gained over 5.3 million followers on TikTok by sharing health-related content and addressing common misconceptions. The expert said that if “you’re ruthlessly ambushed by stabbing butt hole pain, there are a few things which may help.”
Listing three items he urges people to add to their daily diet, he says things like seeds and nuts will help. Spinach is also a great food to include such as in a curry or smoothie and at night, you can opt for some dark chocolate.
The doctor explains: “The most common culprit is an involuntary spasm of the pelvic floor muscles and the anal sphincters brought on by elevated prostaglandin levels. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen and naproxen are basically anti-prostaglandins which can help to control or limit that contraction pain.”
If you are keen on staying away from medication, the expert explains that another cause of proctagia fugax – also known as butt cramps – is “constipation and straining”. He says that the “hormonal fluctuations experienced during a menstrual cycle can lead to period related to constipation.”
The way to deal with this is simple he says – eat more fibre. “One way to offset this is by increasing fibre intake. Not just because it helps with regular bowel motions, but fibre can stop the absorption of oestrogen and progesterone which can cause pain and poop related dysfunction during a menstrual cycle.
“So less of both of these hormones can potentially limit periods and reduce pain as a bonus. If you increase your intake of certain foods like spinach, nuts and seeds and dark chocolate these are not only high fibre but also magnesium which is a muscle relaxant and can alleviate pelvic floor spasm.”
Concluding his advice, the GP says that a “very quick fix for that lightning bolt” pain is buying “agents like lidocaine gel or GTN cream. These are fast acting and providing anesthetic effect to relax and desensitise your derrière.”