RECTAL PAIN
Have you ever had a sharp, stabbing pain somewhere and then, when it came back at other times, it caused worry that there was something really wrong with you?
These pains may occur in the chest or back muscles, are sharp and stabbing and usually shortlived, even if severe. They are usually muscular and the underlying cause is usually nervous tension.
Attacks of severe pain in the rectum which occur at irregular intervals and are fleeting or last only a few minutes are similar.
This condition is called proctalgia fugax. The pain may occur at night or following straining at stool or after ejaculation. Examination shows things to be normal and no organic cause can be found.
The pain is thought to arise from a cramp-like spasm of one of the muscles in the pelvic floor and so is similar to the muscle pains. Some researchers believe it is a variant of the irritable bowel syndrome.
The condition may improve with psychotherapy, with tranquillisers or with drugs designed to relieve the muscle spasm.
A full explanation of the benign nature of the disorder may be sufficient to relieve the patient’s anxiety and so relieve the condition.
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