Pelvic Floor Symptom
Hemorrhoid Pain
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
You have been treated for hemorrhoids, maybe more than once, but the pain and pressure keep returning. Or you were told it is hemorrhoids, yet creams and procedures did not help. Hemorrhoids are often a result of straining and pelvic floor tension, and sometimes the pain blamed on them is actually coming from the muscles themselves.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Hemorrhoid Pain
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in and around the anus. They are very common and can cause bleeding, itching, swelling and pain. Your physician should evaluate them and any bleeding, and treatments range from creams to office procedures to surgery.
Hemorrhoids often keep returning when the pressure on them does not change. Straining, a tight pelvic floor and prolonged sitting on the toilet increase pressure on these veins. A tight anal sphincter and pelvic floor also squeeze hemorrhoids and increase pain. In some people, pain blamed on hemorrhoids is actually from the pelvic floor or pudendal nerve, which is why hemorrhoid treatment does not help.
Dr. Gordon treats the pelvic floor tension and straining patterns that contribute to hemorrhoids, and the muscle and nerve pain that is often mistaken for them.
Hemorrhoid Pain at a Glance
Also called
Hemorrhoids, piles, anal pain
Common contributors
Straining, constipation, prolonged toilet sitting, pregnancy, heavy lifting
Also common
Pelvic floor and anal sphincter tension
When treatment fails
Pain may be from the pelvic floor or pudendal nerve rather than the hemorrhoid
What Dr. Gordon addresses
Pelvic floor tension, straining habits, sphincter tension, nerve irritation
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
Hemorrhoid care treats the veins. When pelvic floor tension and straining are not addressed, hemorrhoids and pain often return.
What routine testing is looking for
- Hemorrhoid size and grade
- Bleeding
- Anal fissures
- Other anorectal disease
What often keeps symptoms going
- Pelvic floor tension that increases pressure on the veins
- A tight anal sphincter that squeezes hemorrhoids
- Straining and long toilet sessions
- Pelvic floor pain mistaken for hemorrhoids
- Pudendal nerve irritation
These are assessed with a pelvic floor exam and a review of your bowel habits.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Anal pain or throbbing
Pain around the anus, especially after bowel movements.
Pressure or swelling
A feeling of fullness or a lump.
Pain with sitting
Discomfort sitting.
Recurring flares
Hemorrhoid symptoms that return after treatment.
Pain that treatment did not help
Pain persisting despite hemorrhoid care.
Straining
Pushing to empty.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Straining
Straining raises pressure on the hemorrhoidal veins.
Pelvic floor tension
A tight pelvic floor increases resistance and pressure.
Sphincter tension
A tight anal sphincter squeezes hemorrhoids and increases pain.
Misattributed pain
Pelvic floor or nerve pain is often mistaken for hemorrhoids.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Hemorrhoid Pain
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your colorectal findings, hemorrhoid treatments and bowel history.
Tailbone and nerve assessment
Assessment of the tailbone, buttocks and pudendal nerve path.
External pelvic floor assessment
The pelvic floor muscles are examined from the outside, with no internal exam. With you draped for comfort, gentle pressure around the perineum, sit bones, tailbone and inner thighs checks tone, tenderness and trigger points.
Bowel habits review
Dr. Gordon reviews straining, toilet time, stool consistency and posture.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your physician or pelvic floor PT when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Blood in the stool or black, tarry stools
- A lasting change in bowel habits, especially after age 45
- Unexplained weight loss
- Severe abdominal pain with fever or vomiting
- Fever with a painful lump or swelling near the anus
- New numbness in the saddle area or loss of bladder or bowel control
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for hemorrhoid pain, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Intrapelvic & Extrapelvic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in both intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling. Treatment releases pelvic floor and deep hip tension that increases pressure on hemorrhoids and adds pain. The needles go in through the skin of the buttock, perineum or inner thigh, never through the vagina or rectum.
Learn about pelvic floor treatmentNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture to calm anal and pelvic nerve sensitivity.
See servicesBetween visits
Bowel Plan & Team Coordination
Straining, posture and toilet time guidance, coordinated with your colorectal specialist.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"Dr. Gordon is an excellent doctor who has had a multi faceted approach to my treatments. ... To begin with, he sat with me for nearly an hour and discussed the details of my lifestyle (workouts, sleep, nutrition, etc) to help paint the picture he needed to best plan my treatments, which informed me that his approach is truly holistic as well as individual. I've experienced immense relief with Dr. Gordon where many others have failed, and I would recommend his services to anyone and everyone."
Joe Friedman, Google Review
Hemorrhoid Pain Questions
Answers About Hemorrhoid Pain
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
No. Hemorrhoids are treated by your physician. Dr. Gordon treats the pelvic floor tension and straining that contribute to them.
Straining and pelvic floor tension keep raising pressure on the veins.
Yes. Pelvic floor and nerve pain are often mistaken for hemorrhoids.
No. Long sessions increase pressure. Dr. Gordon helps you empty efficiently.
Many people improve within six to ten sessions.
Any rectal bleeding should be evaluated by your physician.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For hemorrhoid pain, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
It is a technique that reaches the internal pelvic floor muscles, including the levator ani, obturator internus and coccygeus, to release trigger points and restore normal muscle function. Dr. Gordon holds ASE certification in this technique, which few practitioners in New York have.
Yes. Your privacy and comfort come first. When undressing is needed for the area being treated, you are fully draped, and nothing internal is done without your clear consent. You can pause or stop at any time.
Yes. Hemorrhoid pain can affect people of every gender, and Dr. Gordon treats adults of all genders and identities.
It helps to have had a medical workup so serious causes have been checked. If you have not seen a physician for your pelvic symptoms yet, call the clinic to talk through the best order of steps.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioBook an Evaluation for Hemorrhoid Pain
Book an evaluation with Dr. Gordon and address the pelvic floor tension that keeps hemorrhoid pain coming back.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
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