Fissures are small cuts and tears in the lining of the anus. This is a painful medical condition which may cause difficulty in bowel movements and you may notice some bleeding while passing stools.  

An anal fissure is usually caused due to passing of hard stools, diarrhoea and rectal irritation. It is quite a common disease, around 1 in every 10 people are affected by it at some point in their life. It may affect people of all ages and gender, but children and young adults between the age of 15 and 40 years are more likely to get anal fissures and the chances of having it decreases as people get older. People who have had fissures in the past are more likely to have them in the future if the underlying cause is not addressed. 

Some of the symptoms of a fissure include-

• Sharp pain in the anal area while passing stools
• Blood in stools
• Burning sensation and itching in the anal area

As soon as you notice any of these symptoms, you must consult a doctor right away instead of self-diagnosing. The tear caused may take four to six weeks to get better on its own if it is small, but if a fissure persists beyond eight weeks, it is chronic and needs medical attention. Your doctor may recommend you to take medications such as stool softeners and topical ointments or recommend exercises for fissures to help relieve discomfort. In case your condition doesn’t seem to improve even after these, you may have to undergo surgical procedures.

Is exercise good for Fissure?

If you are suffering from a fissure, regular exercise is recommended to manage your symptoms. The doctor will suggest a few exercises depending on your condition, these exercises can relax the anal muscles and ease bowel movements. Regular physical stimulation also helps lower the chances of constipation and improves circulation. Let us find out some of the right exercises for fissures to help you cope with the pain and discomfort.

5 Exercises and yoga for people with fissures

1. Dhanurasana

Also known as the bow curve pose, this exercise should be done by lying flat on your stomach. Try to bend your legs upwards at the knees get them closer to the thighs and hold your ankles firmly with your arms stretched backwards. Now lift your ankles and stretch out your chest. Your whole body should be like the shape of a bow and allow your weight to rest on your abdomen. Hold this position for about 5-6 seconds and then gently relax and return to your original position. You must repeat this for another 9-10 cycles and do this exercise twice daily. This will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, help relieve constipation and promote digestion.

2. Trikonasana 

The triangle stretch exercise helps improve bowel movements and regulates digestion. Start by standing straight with your feet apart and gently move your right foot outwards and the left foot about 45 degrees inwards. The heels must be along your hips. Spread your arms out to either side of your body, parallel to the ground with your palms facing downwards. Then bend to the right side and stretch so that the right palm touches the ground behind the right leg. Stretch your left hand up straight, perpendicular to the ground. You must hold this position for about 10 seconds. Repeat the same on the left side and continue this for 5 cycles daily to get positive benefits.

3. Viparita Karani

This exercise is also known as the legs up-the-wall pose and is a restorative yoga which is recommended for fissure patients. It creates pressure in your abdomen and allows good oxygen supply to the anal area, which improves digestive comfort. You may start by lying on your back and letting your hands rest on the floor next to your body. Keep the soles of your feet upwards and on the wall and raise both your legs up to a 90-degree angle. Keep breathing deeply and remain in this position for 10 minutes and repeat it every day.

4. Pelvic Exercise

This is an easy exercise that promotes relaxation and good blood circulation in the anus area. It also soothes and comforts the area. Fill your bathtub with warm water and immerse the affected area in the warm water. Now, contract the muscle as if you are trying to stop passing gas or stool from the anus. Hold this and release, continue doing this and concentrate on relaxing the muscle completely. Repeat this exercise every 3 minutes as you sit in the tub. 

5. Walking

Brisk walking every day is itself a wonderful exercise and may help in regulating bowel movements. Make sure that you are not walking too fast and running out of breath neither should you walk too slow which causes no sweating. Walking promotes overall good health. It lowers the chances of formation of hard stools and stimulates and promotes blood flow which is helpful if you have a fissure.

These are some of the exercises you can try doing regularly if you are suffering from or have recovered from fissures, it can also help keep problems like constipation in check. These exercises especially target the lower part of your body and ensure normal bowel movements, improve anal sphincter control and also help manage daily stress. Do not perform these exercises without consulting your doctor if you have any orthopaedic problems. 

If you notice a small lump or skin tag on the skin near the anal opening (more common when chronic or has been present for greater than 6 weeks), it may be associated with an imminent fissure, you should consult a surgeon to get it examined.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D.

Exercises to avoid Fissure

While exercises are good for you and may relieve symptoms of fissures, it is important to know which exercises you must do and which are the exercises you must avoid so that your condition doesn’t worsen. All kinds of intense workouts and strenuous exercises that tighten the butt muscles may aggravate your symptoms and are not recommended if you are suffering from a fissure. These are the activities to avoid:

• Sit-ups
• Squats and similar movements
• Heavy weightlifting
• Cycling
• Horseback riding
• Rowing

Fissure in ano is a tear in mucosa of anus. It is due to passage of very hard stools causing tears. Along with excercise eating high fiber diet is as important as it’ll soften the stools

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Conclusion:

Fissure even though a common disease can make it difficult for you to live a normal life. You must consider consulting a doctor at the earliest if you notice any symptoms of fissures, he or she can help you with the right diagnosis and treatment. Practising the doctor-recommended exercises and following diet and lifestyle changes may prove to be helpful for you.  

Also Read: Benefits of Walking Backwards: Unveiling the Science Backed Advantages

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Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.