Hi all,
I am new to this forum but wanted to share that I have experienced some relief in the past couple of weeks by trying 2 things I have never done before. I first suffered from fissures several years ago when my thyroid stopped functioning and I became very constipated. The fissures were pretty bad, but the spasming in my rectum was unbearable. Well...it started again about a month ago and again, the spasming was just terrible. I went to my regular doc and he reccommended the usual...sitz baths, nytro cream....
I decided after several sleepless nights to try something new. I started seeing an acupuncturist and put myself on a clear liquids diet during the day, followed by a very light dinner consisting of sweet potatoe, very cooked greens, a little (1/4 cup) of rice. I drank a lot of broth, herbal tea (no caffeine), gatorade, and water. I kept doing the sitz baths as needed. I quickly found that the intensity and duration of the spasms started to decrease within 2 accupuncture visits and making the dietary changes. My acupuncturist recommended 2 or 3 times a week initially. I started with 2 visits, and am down to one session a week. Since starting, I have had a couple of nearly pain free days. Not entirely pain free.....but much much better. I did the clear liquids and light dinner diet for about 5 days. I am now reintroducing yogurt, sorbet, poached chicken breast, rice noodles. So far, it is going okay. I plan to keep doing acupuncture once a week for the next couple of weeks.
Just wanted to let folks know that if you are open to Chinese medicine, acupuncture is worth trying. The acupuncture points that my acupuncturist used included several at the base of the spine, one on the tip of the coccyx, one in the hand, one near my elbow (both of those are for pain), one at the top of the head and the other in the center of the perineam. There were a few in my foot as well. I know that the perineam point sounds like it would be painful, and maybe embarrassing for some, but it is the point that makes the most difference. My doc was so great and made me feel really comfortable with the whole thing. And again, compaired to the spasming, the sensation from the needles doesn't compare. Also, this seems like a much less intrusive remedy to surgery.
Hope this post is helpful to people!

Recoveryoptions,
I'm completely open to alternative healing methods and find it great that you feel acupuncture is helping you in dealing with your fissure. I've used acupuncture in the past and found it extremely helpful for other issues at that time - I'm not entirely sure to be honest, whether it was the treatment itself or the encouragement and support I had whilst being treated, that really helped me, but I do recall feeling absolutely wonderful after my sessions! I think the dietary changes themselves are also playing a major role in helping you. Good luck with it all and really happy to read that this is helping you a lot! x

I know this is a few months old, but I wanted to say that I have had great relief from acupuncture. The pain relief and the significant reduction in spasm have been the biggest effects. The spasm and tightness have gone and I'm healing and I continue to go to acupuncture once weekly.