Anyone else have anal pressure and ache caused by anxiety???? I have had many years of this. All tests and scans are normal. Seen urologist, colorectal surgeon and had mri and all is clear. I have periods of months where I have no pain. It's a mind body issue. If I'm drunk or asleep it's not there . I can be on holiday and not feel a thing. Or if I'm completely distracted it's not there . Basically I saw a pelvic floor physical therapist who said that the muscle inside my anus was chronically tight. They agreed it's a mind body condition. A subconscious tensing up. Basically about 3cm inside my anus and facing the tailbone there is a muscle in there which when pressed is extremely tender and replicates all of my symptoms. I am going to start doing self massage inside my anus. And I never take any pain relief for some reason so I'm going to start. I have been told to not focus on the area because it is an obsession. It's on my mind all the time. But I figure if I can self help myself with massage and pain relief it's only a bonus. I know I have to sort the psychological side of it too which is what causes the muscles to be tense. I'm keen to hear from anyone with a similar issue. And does anyone know what that muscle would be??? About 3cm in the anus next to the tailbone. At 6 o clock if that makes sense. Many thanks. It sucks haha.

It is the involuntary internal anal sphincter over which you have no control. Just like any other muscle in the body, however, it can be worked to influence its control. I used anal dilation, which took time and patience but world for me in the end. Like any tight muscle, it needs a way to relax, and using gradually increasing dilators helped for me and others. You have to do it SLOWLY and GRADUALLY. Doing self massage sounds like a good idea too.

Use the search between Portal and FAQ above and search for the various terms by topic.

to the forum!!

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to see my gp tomorrow to ask for some pain relief. I am on sertraline because of the anxiety and depression it causes. I don't really want to be on any muscle relaxers as they can make you feel ill. Are there any good pain relief medications out there??? Over the counter stuff does nothing. Even though it's stress related I just need to help with the pain. It's my internal anal sphincter??? Is this why as soon as I insert a finger it brings relief??? The muscle is being forced to relax???

And does the internal anal sphincter react to stress and depression?????

And I'm off to see a pelvic floor physical therapist who does some internal massage.