Pain with bowel movements
Sharp or burning during or right after, sometimes with an ache that lingers for hours. Worse with straining or hard stool.
Rectal pain can feel sharp, burning, aching, or like constant pressure. It often flares with bowel movements or sitting and may spread to the tailbone or perineum. It’s a symptom with more than one possible source, so the first step is finding where yours is coming from.
In persistent cases, the pelvic floor and deep hip muscles are commonly involved. They tighten to protect the area and stay that way, which irritates nearby nerves and sensitizes the tissue. Constipation, straining or frequent loose stools keep loading these muscles. Over time, pain can continue even after a structural cause has been ruled out.
Two tools do most of the work here: dry needling, a form of acupuncture, and electroacupuncture. The obturator internus lines the side wall of the pelvis, and the pudendal nerve runs along it. If that muscle is tight, I needle it to give the nerve space. If the pudendal nerve has become irritable in its own right, I place fine needles near it and add a gentle current. That’s electroacupuncture, and the aim is to change how the nerve is signaling.
Most people have been checked for fissures, hemorrhoids, infection, inflammation or a mass, and that is the right first step. Once those are treated or ruled out, pain can persist. Medication can ease inflammation or dull pain signals but doesn’t change muscle tension or nerve irritation. Procedures treat a specific lesion, and imaging is often normal when muscles and nerves are the source.
I start by asking what triggers the pain, what your bowel movements are like, and what testing you’ve had. Then the exam:
I work alongside gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and primary care. When something I see on exam deserves a second look from one of them, I’ll tell you plainly and share my findings.
It can be, so some symptoms need a doctor first. Seek urgent care for bleeding, especially heavy or persistent, fever, or severe or rapidly worsening pain. The same goes for black or tarry stools, drainage, new weakness or numbness, or feeling generally unwell. A sudden change in bowel habits lasting more than a few days, or a weakened immune system, also calls for medical evaluation first.
Imaging doesn’t show trigger points, high muscle tone or an irritated nerve. A normal result is useful because it rules out other problems. It doesn’t rule out a muscle or nerve source, which can often be found by pressing on the right spot.
No. Active fissures, bleeding hemorrhoids, abscesses and inflammatory conditions are managed by doctors. If pain persists after those are treated or ruled out, I treat the muscle guarding, straining and nerve irritation that can keep it going.
Usually it’s a mix, because tight muscle and an irritable nerve often show up together. Releasing the obturator internus and levator ani gives the pudendal nerve more room along its path. If that nerve still fires on its own, the electrical stimulation targets it directly.
It targets tight muscle and trigger points that feed rectal pain, and I walk you through each step before I begin. None of it is internal, and every needle is placed externally. Should internal work make sense for you, I’ll refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist.
It depends on how long you’ve had it, your bowel habits, and how reactive the area is. Most people come in for a short, closer run of visits before spacing them out. I recheck each visit using sitting time, pain with bowel movements, and how often flares happen.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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