Haemorrhoids are extraordinarily common and almost never discussed, which means most people manage them badly for years. They are also a condition where the practical measures matter more than anything else, so this article leans that way.
Sinking qi and damp heat: the classical view
Chinese medicine reads haemorrhoids through two main lenses. Damp-heat sinking to the lower body produces the hot, swollen, itchy, bleeding presentation, often in people who eat richly, drink alcohol, or sit through long hot days. Qi sinking — a deficiency pattern where the body’s upward-holding force is weak — produces prolapse, dragging heaviness and symptoms worse at the end of the day or after standing. The two frequently overlap, and telling them apart changes both the acupuncture and the herbs.
Haemorrhoids are older in the acupuncture literature than most people would guess. The Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, compiled by Huangfu Mi in the third century, lists them alongside perineal pain, hip pain and loss of bowel control, and gives Cheng Fu — the point in the crease beneath the buttock, numbered Bl-50 in that text and BL-36 on modern charts — as the ruling point for the group. The grouping is the interesting part: those authors were treating a region and its circulation rather than chasing the lump itself.
What treatment can offer
Treatment uses points that raise sinking qi and clear damp-heat, typically on the head, back and lower leg rather than anywhere uncomfortable — this is a less invasive appointment than people fear. Moxibustion over a specific point at the crown has a long traditional use for prolapse patterns. Herbal medicine is often the more powerful lever here. We are also blunt that the daily habits below do most of the work, and that surgical options exist for a reason.
An honest word on the evidence
The research base for this specific condition is limited — small trials, mixed quality. Treatment here rests on pattern-based clinical reasoning and long traditional use, offered as supportive care alongside your medical management rather than on the basis of established effect. Haemorrhoids are also a condition where conservative measures — fibre, fluid, toilet habits and avoiding straining — have solid evidence behind them, so we put real time into those rather than overselling what needles can do.
How we handle this at the clinic
People rarely come to Balmoral or Alexandra Hills for haemorrhoids alone; it usually surfaces near the end of an appointment about something else. That is fine — but it means it goes untreated for a long time. Brisbane’s heat plays a part too: long hot days, dehydration and hard stools make a bad combination, and the damp-heat pattern the classics describe is not hard to spot in a Queensland summer.
What actually helps at home
Do not strain, and do not sit on the toilet reading — both increase pressure directly. Go when the urge arrives rather than deferring. Fibre and fluid together soften stool; either alone does less. A footstool that raises the knees above the hips straightens the passage and reduces straining significantly. Warm sitz baths ease acute flare-ups. Move regularly if you sit for work. And treat constipation properly, because it is the most common driver.
Bleeding that needs a doctor
Rectal bleeding should never simply be assumed to be haemorrhoids — especially if you are over 40, if there is a change in bowel habit, weight loss, or a family history of bowel cancer. See your GP. Australia’s bowel screening programme exists for exactly this reason. Severe pain, a hard tender lump, or bleeding that does not settle needs prompt assessment.
Individual responses vary, and assessment determines whether this approach suits your situation. Call (07) 3820 2887 or book online at our Balmoral or Alexandra Hills clinics.
Haemorrhoid questions we hear often
Is the treatment as uncomfortable as it sounds?
No. The points used sit on the head, back and lower legs — nothing invasive and nothing embarrassing. Most people are surprised at how ordinary the appointment is.
Should I see a doctor before coming?
If you have had any rectal bleeding that has not been medically assessed, yes. Bleeding has other causes that must be excluded first, and that is not a step to skip.
Will this stop them coming back?
The habits matter more than anything we do — straining, constipation, prolonged sitting and dehydration are the recurring drivers. Treatment can ease a flare and support the underlying pattern, but the daily measures are what keep it settled.
References
- Huangfu Mi. The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing), c. 259 CE. Translated by Yang Shou-zhong and Charles Chace. Boulder: Blue Poppy Press, 1994.
Written and clinically reviewed by Dr Francesco Pennisi
Registered Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist & Chinese Medicine Practitioner · Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (AHPRA) · AACMA Member
Dr Francesco brings more than 30 years of clinical experience to Results Acupuncture’s Balmoral and Alexandra Hills clinics, combining acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and related therapies.
