Haemorrhoids may not cause any problems, but they can cause bleeding, protrusion and pain. Since bleeding is involved, it is important to rule out any more serious conditions. If the blood is fresh-coloured then it is most likely going to be caused by the haemorrhoids, if it is darker in colour then this may indicate bleeding further up the digestive tract. It is worth getting things checked out with your G.P.

According to the theory of Chinese medicine, energy is required to hold things in place. We have gravity acting downwards all the time and so we need an upwards force to counteract this and prevent our organs from sinking downwards. When this upward force is weak then prolapses can occur and conditions such as haemorrhoids.

Haemorrhoids can also develop when there is a lot of 'stagnation'. I have treated a patient who was suffering from painful periods that were caused by stagnation of energy and blood. After several months of treatment her periods became more comfortable and she told me 'incidentally!', that she used to suffer from haemorrhoids and now they have disappeared! Since people do not normally think of acupuncture in the treatment of haemorrhoids, it is usually a secondary issue however it does form part of a larger picture of imbalance within the body.

Haemorrhoids can also occur during pregnancy and there is an empirical point on the leg that is very good at treating this.