Can I keep hemorrhoids away with exercise?

Summary

In this informative video, Dr. Albert Chung addresses the question of whether pelvic floor exercises can prevent hemorrhoids. He explains the anatomy of the pelvic floor and its relationship with hemorrhoids, both internal and external. Dr. Chung emphasizes the importance of strengthening pelvic floor muscles for overall bowel and urinary function, and suggests that while these exercises can help manage hemorrhoids, they may not be a complete solution. He advocates for a personalized approach to healthcare, listening to patients' unique experiences to provide tailored advice.

Takeaways

• 📌 Dr. Albert Chung's channel aims to provide real and helpful information about proctological health.
• 👍 The video encourages viewers to subscribe and like the content for channel growth.
• 🤔 The main question addressed is whether exercises can prevent hemorrhoids or keep them from becoming problematic.
• 💪 Pelvic floor exercises are discussed as a potential method to manage hemorrhoids.
• 🔍 Internal hemorrhoids typically stay inside, while external hemorrhoids can protrude and cause discomfort.
• 🦴 The pelvic floor muscles support the weight of internal organs and are crucial for bowel and urinary function.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can improve control over bowel movements and potentially help with hemorrhoids.
• 🚫 Hemorrhoids may not always stay inside, even with exercises, especially if they are swollen or during vigorous activity.
• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Chung emphasizes the importance of listening to patients' individual experiences and tailoring treatment accordingly.
• 🌟 The video suggests that pelvic floor exercises are beneficial for overall health, regardless of hemorrhoid issues.
• 📝 The narrative stresses the individual nature of medical advice and the importance of personal stories in finding solutions.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Dr. Albert Chung's video?

The main topic of the video is whether exercises, specifically pelvic floor exercises, can help keep hemorrhoids away or prevent them from becoming problematic.

What are internal hemorrhoids?

Internal hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids that stay inside the body, usually not protruding outside, and they can become swollen and uncomfortable when they get big enough.

What are external hemorrhoids?

External hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids that are located outside the body, covered by skin, and can be swollen and uncomfortable, causing difficulty in sitting, walking, or standing.

What is the function of the pelvic floor muscles?

The pelvic floor muscles help support the weight of the body's internal organs, such as the intestines, and play a crucial role in bowel and urinary function, including controlling the release of waste.

How do pelvic floor exercises potentially help with hemorrhoids?

By strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, including the anal sphincter muscles, these exercises may help in better controlling the muscles and potentially keeping hemorrhoids inside, preventing them from causing discomfort.

What are the benefits of doing pelvic floor exercises?

Pelvic floor exercises can enhance strength, control, and relaxation of the muscles, which can improve bowel and urinary function, and potentially help in managing hemorrhoids.

Why might pelvic floor exercises not always work for hemorrhoids?

In some cases, hemorrhoids may be too swollen or the individual may engage in vigorous activities that prevent the exercises from keeping the hemorrhoids inside at all times.

What is Dr. Chung's opinion on the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises for hemorrhoids?

Dr. Chung believes that pelvic floor exercises are beneficial and can help manage hemorrhoids, but they may not completely prevent the need for surgery in severe cases.

How does Dr. Chung approach patient care?

Dr. Chung emphasizes the importance of listening to patients' problems and stories to provide personalized solutions, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all treatment approach.

What is the role of the pelvic bones in the body?

The pelvic bones provide a structure for the pelvic floor muscles, forming a ring-like structure that supports the internal organs and is connected by the pelvic floor muscles.

What happens when the pelvic floor muscles are weak?

Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to issues with bowel and urinary control, and may contribute to the development or worsening of conditions like hemorrhoids.

Outlines

00:00

📌 Introduction and Channel Purpose

Dr. Albert Chung welcomes viewers to his proctology channel, emphasizing the importance of subscriber support through likes and subscriptions. He highlights the channel's mission to provide valuable information about bottom health. The video focuses on whether exercises can prevent hemorrhoids, specifically addressing pelvic muscle exercises and their potential to manage internal hemorrhoids.

05:01

🔍 Understanding Hemorrhoids and Pelvic Floor Anatomy

The discussion delves into the anatomy of internal and external hemorrhoids, their typical locations, and appearances. Dr. Chung explains the pelvic floor's structure, its importance in supporting organs, and its role in bowel movements. He also touches on the relationship between pelvic floor muscles and hemorrhoids, suggesting that strengthening these muscles could help manage hemorrhoids.

10:01

💪 The Role of Pelvic Floor Exercises in Hemorrhoid Management

Dr. Chung explores the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises in managing hemorrhoids. He acknowledges that while these exercises can help keep hemorrhoids at bay for some individuals, they may not always be successful, especially during periods of increased physical activity or swelling. He advocates for the overall health benefits of pelvic floor exercises, regardless of hemorrhoid issues, and encourages viewers to incorporate them into their routine for improved bowel and urinary control.

Keywords

💡Proctologist

A proctologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the lower gastrointestinal tract, including the rectum and anus. In the video, Dr. Albert Chung is a proctologist, and he is discussing hemorrhoids and their management, which is within his area of expertise.

💡Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower part of the anus and rectum. They can be internal (inside the rectum) or external (under the skin around the anus). The video addresses the question of whether exercises can help keep hemorrhoids at bay, which is a common concern for those suffering from this condition.

💡Pelvic Floor Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises are a set of physical exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, which support the pelvic organs. In the context of the video, these exercises are discussed as a potential method to help manage hemorrhoids by strengthening the muscles around the anus.

💡Anal Sphincter Muscles

The anal sphincter muscles are a group of muscles that control the opening and closing of the anus. They are crucial for bowel movements and maintaining continence. The video suggests that strengthening these muscles through pelvic floor exercises may help in managing hemorrhoids by providing better control over the anal region.

💡Internal Hemorrhoids

Internal hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids that are located inside the rectum and are usually not visible from the outside. They can cause discomfort and bleeding but often do not protrude from the anus. The video discusses the possibility of keeping internal hemorrhoids under control through exercises.

💡External Hemorrhoids

External hemorrhoids are hemorrhoids that develop under the skin around the anus. They can be painful and may become swollen, making sitting or walking uncomfortable. The video mentions that people sometimes try to keep external hemorrhoids inside to avoid discomfort.

💡Pelvic Bones

The pelvic bones form a basin-like structure that supports the pelvic organs and provides attachment points for the pelvic floor muscles. The video describes the pelvic bones as a ring that goes sideways around the hips, with no bones at the top or bottom, creating a cavity for the pelvic organs.

💡Pelvic Floor Muscles

These muscles form a supportive system for the pelvic organs, including the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. They are crucial for maintaining continence and supporting the pelvic organs. The video emphasizes the importance of strengthening these muscles through exercises to improve overall pelvic health.

💡Rectum

The rectum is the final section of the large intestine and serves as a temporary storage area for feces before they are expelled through the anus. In the video, the rectum is mentioned in relation to hemorrhoids, which can develop in the lining of the rectum, leading to internal hemorrhoids.

💡Continence

Continence refers to the ability to control the elimination of bodily waste. The pelvic floor muscles play a vital role in maintaining continence, especially for bowel movements. The video discusses how strengthening these muscles can improve one's ability to control bowel movements and potentially manage hemorrhoids.

💡Surgery

Surgical intervention is a treatment option for severe hemorrhoids that do not respond to other treatments. The video acknowledges that some people may be trying to avoid surgery and explores the potential benefits of pelvic floor exercises as an alternative or supplementary approach.

Highlights

Dr. Albert Chung's channel aims to provide real and helpful information about bottom end health.

The video discusses the possibility of using pelvic floor exercises to prevent hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids can be internal or external, with internal ones typically staying inside and external ones sometimes protruding.

Pelvic floor muscles are crucial for bowel and urinary function and can be strengthened through exercises.

The pelvic floor is a ring structure that supports the weight of internal organs and is connected to the anus.

Pelvic floor exercises can help improve control and relaxation, which may assist in managing hemorrhoids.

Dr. Chung emphasizes the importance of listening to patients' individual experiences to provide personalized medical advice.

Strengthening pelvic floor muscles can potentially help keep hemorrhoids inside, but results may vary.

Dr. Chung suggests that pelvic floor exercises are beneficial regardless of hemorrhoid issues, for overall health.

The video highlights the importance of understanding the body's unique responses to treatments.

Dr. Chung encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel for more informative content on proctology.

The video explains the anatomy of the pelvic floor and its relation to hemorrhoids in a detailed and engaging manner.

Dr. Chung discusses the role of pelvic floor muscles in the process of defecation and how they relate to hemorrhoid management.

The video provides a balanced view on the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises in managing hemorrhoids, acknowledging both their benefits and limitations.

Dr. Chung emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to medical advice, as each patient's body reacts differently.

The video concludes with a reminder that while exercises can be helpful, they may not completely prevent the need for surgery in severe cases.

Transcripts

hi there i'm dr albert chung and welcome

to your friendly proctologist thank you

so much for spending your time with me

today i truly appreciate every single

one of you that subscribed and watching

the video

on that note would you mind would you

click that thumbs up button and also

subscribe to this channel it greatly

helps this channel to grow i appreciate

you for that this channel is about

giving you real and helpful information

about your bottom end and we have so

many questions to answer because you

want to know more and i'm here to help

you and do exactly that and that's what

this channel is all about

so the question today is

can i do exercises to keep hemorrhoids

away

can they go away with

exercising your pelvic muscles

and

i think

the um the question is a really great

thought because

let me tell you you're not the only one

that's thought of it and even if you've

never said that question out loud you're

probably unconsciously doing it without

even realizing it

and the original question was can i do

pelvic mud floor exercises to keep the

hemorrhoids in the house and this is

referring to a previous video in the

past where the hemorrhoids in the house

were the internal hemorrhoids because

usually the internal hemorrhoids stay

inside

they usually don't go outdoors

so let's kind of break things up here

let's do the background okay

and um

obviously internal hemorrhoids is mainly

what we're talking about here but we can

also apply them to external hemorrhoids

too

you know many people are trying to keep

those guys inside the external

hemorrhoids i mean because when they're

sticking out

they can be swollen and really

uncomfortable and it's it can really be

awful to sit on them to walk around with

them or stand with them hanging out

right

so

the internal hemorrhoids on the inside

and they pop out when they're big enough

and those guys are usually pink and wet

because they're from they have the

lining of the intestine

the external hemorrhoids are on the

outside that's where they normally live

and they have skin covering so they're

usually the skin same color of your skin

on your buttocks but probably a little

bit darker because you know the skin

gets to a darker color when it gets to

your bottom end

alright so what about pelvic floor

exercises

what is the pelvic floor even before you

get to the exercises

so

if we were to

imagine the anatomy of your body right

first we'll take

we'll think about the pelvic bones

okay and the pelvic bones we need to

thought think about that first because

that provides a structure

for the pelvic floor muscles

all right so the pelvis is really a ring

that goes sideways okay

if you think of it kind of like a uh

well a hula hoop around your hips

and that just kind of re just kind of

circles around like this okay

and your leg bones your hips go

underneath this hula hoop bar

and it kind of has some depth to it kind

of goes up and down for a fair distance

but there are no bones on the top of

this ring

and there are no bones at the bottom of

the ring okay and so if you look at a

skeleton in a museum or in a classroom

you can see that you can actually put

your fist if this was the basin of the

hole here of the pelvis ring you could

put your fist and go straight down

and it's really just you look down into

the pelvic bone and you're like oh my

god i see the floor

i mean shouldn't there be like a rib

cage down there i mean it how did my

insides not just fall out onto the floor

and

that is because of your pelvic floor

it's actually functioning and helping

to keep things up

right keep things suspended it is

carrying the weight of your body as well

as other

tendons ligaments

um

other support structures and the all the

bonding of these different

tissues

form

the um the structure to keep your lungs

your intestines up i mean there's a lot

of stuff that's sitting on top of our

pelvis okay

okay so if you have this ring here the

pelvic floor actually attaches 360

degrees around this ring okay

and then that

muscle then comes down to the floor

so with the pelvis and the floor because

this forms a bowl actually

if you think about the top here with

this ring and then it comes down on all

sides 360 degrees around it's just

coming down to form the bottom of this

swimming pool

and at the bottom of the hole

is you guessed it it's your anus it's

your urethra your pee hole and if your

woman the vagina as well

and these muscles surround all of these

structures these holes at the very

bottom

and these muscles actually are very thin

i mean i've done surgery in these areas

and when you look at these muscles they

look so fragile and weak

but they hold so much power and such an

important

job and function that's it's really

amazing how our bodies are designed

but these muscles here

have so much to do with how we poop

and they connect with our anus and our

rectum okay

and

these muscles have a lot to do with how

we're supposed to poop these are the

muscles like i said in previous videos

that

they are contracted

when you're not supposed to poop to

prevent an accident and then they're

relaxed or they you want them relaxed

they're supposed to be relaxed when you

poop that way things open up the channel

opens up and then the poop can come out

right

and

these muscles since they are closely and

very much related turn into our

sphincter muscles

they have a lot to do with

our hemorrhoids and i

i

understand completely when people are

trying to as much as possible avoid

like a surgery right because they feel

these hemorrhoids coming out to the

outside maybe your surgeon has said to

you

you know you're going to need surgery

for those hemorrhoids they're too big

and but you know that they're coming out

you don't want the surgery and so you're

trying to think of other ways to well

not have them interfere with your life

so with your internal hemorrhoids after

you poop you may be pushing them back in

with your external hemorrhoids after a

poop you may be also trying to push

those guys in

and then

what do you do when

after you do that

what you do is you squeeze

right

you're trying to

catch them in like you're putting your

finger in and then you stuff them in

there and you're trying to trap them

inside of the anus as if it was some

kind of you know some kind of glove and

you're trying to

close right around those muscles

and it's really a very ingenious

adaptation it's a very smart thing to do

because i mean

what do you do when you're you don't if

something's going to fall out of your

hands like a rope is going to fall out

of your hands you're trying to make sure

you got a good grasp if you don't want

to let go what do you do you go you hold

on to that rope and then you try and

pull up right because you don't want to

lose grip

and the pelvic floor muscles because it

relates to the anus you're

trying to strengthen the muscles there

so you want your anus to be stronger

that way it has more power more force

right and you can actually hold that

contraction or force longer when you

squeeze if you were to work things out

just like you work out any other bicep

or your you know your shoulders you want

the muscles to be able to withstand

a prolonged exercise and doing it all

the time

maybe it can get better and it'll be

easier for you later on right

and

these pelvic floor exercises don't just

work this the anal sphincter muscles

they also work the entire bowl so what

if you

can strengthen them and then just like

when they prevent poop from coming out

can you get them to do the same thing to

hold the hemorrhoids in

right and that's where the question is

asking these pelvic floor exercises

which strengthen that bowl

it also strengthens the anus muscles can

that be a good way

to keep your hemorrhoids inside right

are you following me i hope you are

trying to make the explanations very

logical so you can understand and be

able to see if this can be applied to

your life

okay

and i'll tell you that some people

absolutely can

of course and that makes complete sense

and i'm sure you've tried it and you've

had some good success

but

there may have been times where it does

not work right

maybe the hemorrhoid was just a little

bit more swollen than usual

right maybe a certain day you were doing

a lot more vigorous activity maybe

you're doing a lot more running around

and

you really weren't able to keep them in

the entire time

maybe you were standing a lot plus with

that moving

that may

have gotten you to say oh man they they

came out that was that was uh surprising

right

and so you think maybe you should

exercise more or maybe you think oh it's

not working you know what else can i do

but i believe that pelvic floor

exercises are very important and would

benefit anyone whether you have

hemorrhoid issues or not

because strengthening these pelvic floor

muscles

them being as fragile and thin as they

are

they

produce a huge function for our bowel

function and urinary function

that you can

enhance your strength enhance your

control and also enhance your relaxation

and i think for many people relaxation

can be very helpful on the toilet right

especially people trying to keep things

in so let's say all day long

you've been holding in your hemorrhoids

you've been squeezing your muscles all

day finally you get the signal to go

poop and what happens

you sit down in the toilet and you can't

relax

you're so used to squeezing and

concentrating so hard to keep that

contraction maximized and all of a

sudden when it's time to do the exact

100 percent opposite go from zero excuse

me go from 100 intensity to zero

you can only go down to about 70 percent

for some reason it's just not

doing what you wanted to

and so

i think that there's pros and cons to

the strategy but can you keep them in

better with strengthening those muscles

absolutely you can do i recommend that

you do pelvic floor exercises absolutely

i do think it's extremely healthy

all of our body parts and muscles should

get some type of exercise it keeps us

strong keeps us moving and keeps our

body parts functioning more normally and

prevents pain

as well

now

is this a good strategy to keep

hemorrhoids in i think it is

i mean in my opinion hemorrhoids do not

need something done until they are

really ruining your life okay and so if

you don't want to have surgery right now

or you're not ready

or you want to see if this thing these

things can help you well i think that

doing these exercises even now

can help you in the future

and if it keeps you away from surgery

for another six months

well then

that may be a big benefit to you you

know try and prolong things maybe

you don't ever need surgery because now

you've found this new strategy and it

doesn't bother you as much anymore i

mean there's so many different things

that could be happening and it depends

on you

again i think the most important job of

a doctor is and i take this very

seriously is to listen to the patient

listen to you

the problems are in

the story that you give me the solutions

are in the story you tell me and

the re you know it just all stems from

there because

you are not a textbook

i cannot just read off a treatment and

say

here you go

it's like go to the grocery store pick

up these ingredients and then make your

loaf of bread it's going to come out

perfect every time no the human body

does not work that way

and

we i think doctors

need to

be more patient and listen and therefore

and then

we can really start helping people and

make people better

so this was kind of a little bit of a

tangent but

i hope that you really enjoy the content

of this video i hope i answered your

question

and i'll see you on the next one

take care bye