Current treatments for anal fissures range from the use of simple home remedies to medical surgeries. However, what most people suffering from anal fissures do not know is that a change in one’s lifestyle could also treat and prevent the condition. Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly could help a great deal in improving one’s digestion. Walking, for example, could help in treating fissures for it encourages regular bowel movements and promotes overall blood flow, ensuring quick healing of the fissures.
Not much is known on the subject of yoga as a treatment for anal fissures but it is definitely slowly gaining attention. Since yoga exercises are proven to be effective for muscle relaxation, they help control and relax the special set of muscles present in the anal area. These muscles are called the anal sphincters and are the ones responsible for controlling the excretion of feces from the anus. Every time the anal sphincters expand, the fissures are also stretched open which results to discomfort, pain, and bleeding. Chronic constipation or prolonged diarrhea often cause spasms in the anal sphincters and these spasms aggravate (and sometimes even lead to) anal fissures. Certain yoga exercises and asanas come in handy in relieving one off these spasms.
Specific asanas or yoga poses and pranayama or breathing exercises have also been said to help relax anal muscles as well as improve one’s digestion and bowel movement, which could then aid in the quick recovery from anal fissures.
Following a yogic diet is also another vital component of the yoga treatment. One of the main causes of anal fissures is constipation which is due to irregular and/or wrong eating habits. So to prevent constipation, one must drink 10-12 glasses a day. Sticking to a predominantly vegetarian yogic diet is also an important facet of this particular treatment. A yogic diet is basically composed of fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and grains with the absence of milk, alcohol, tea, and coffee, oily and spicy foods, and even junk foods.
A variety of yoga, the asthanga yoga, is recommended for it relaxes the pelvic muscles and calms the nerves. Asanas like the dhanurasana, shavasana, shalabhasan, halasana, and vajrasana for example, are the ones that promote better blood flow in the digestive organs and smooth bowel movements. Other yoga exercises, the pavanamukta asana or wind release posture, the trikonasana or triangle stretch, and the ustrasana or kneeling back stretch deal mainly with the abdominal region aiding in good digestion and even relieving gastritis.
The concept of yoga mainly revolves around the achievement of optimal health in all levels – from physical to psychological to spiritual – through a healthy yogic diet, exercise, meditation, asanas, and bodywork. Consulting a yoga instructor, or better yet, enrolling in a yoga course is a rather alternative way of dealing with anal fissure but one that is certainly worth giving a try.
Please Share
