Piles can be a discomforting experience. However, to ensure you don’t experience severe pain during the process, it’s important to know the best sitting position for piles. Piles pain often gets aggravated due to straining during bowel movements and prolonged sitting. In external piles, sitting hurts more than internal piles.
People with desk jobs, especially office-going people who have a sitting job, cannot help themselves through the pain. However, through this blog, we will help you ease your pain with some home and office-related tips for relief. We have also shared the best sitting position for hemorrhoids that will prevent the onset of pain while sitting.
Best Sitting Position for Hemorrhoids
If you often experience pain while sitting for long hours at the office or home, try these recommended sitting positions to reduce discomfort and support better posture.
1. The Seated Cross-Legged Position (Sukhasana)
Sukhasana helps with piles as it helps with healthy blood circulation around anal area and reduces pressure while sitting, relieving pain.
How to do it:
- Sit cross-legged, keeping your spine straight
- Now, keep your feet flat on the floor
- Rest your hands gently on your knees.
2. The Supported Squat (Malasana)
Malasana is a good hip-opening practice, which makes the feet, ankles, knees, legs, and lower back stronger. It also reduces any strain and promotes pelvic relaxation.
How to do it:
- Take a Squat position with your feet flat on the floor
- Bend your knees
- Rest your hands on your thighs or clasped in front of you.
3. Sitting on a Cushion or Soft Surface
Sitting on a cushion and soft surface relaxes the pelvic muscles and makes you comfortable while sitting, even if you have piles. Keeping the cushion distributes the weight evenly, reduces pressure on hamorrhoids and ensures comfort.
How to do it:
- Take a soft cushion that doesn’t put pressure on the affected area.
- Keep it behind your back.
4. The Reclined Sitting Position (Reclined Pose)
Reclined Pose, also known as Supta Virasana, is one of the best sitting positions for Hemorrhoids. It encourages a healthy blood flow in the anal areas, thus helping people with piles stay relaxed and pain-free.
How to do it:
- Sit with your back supported against a wall or chair
- Now, place a pillow under your thighs to elevate your legs slightly.
5. The Forward Leaning Position
This position is an efficient yoga posture and is also recommended for being the best sitting position for piles. Leaning forward relieves pressure on the lower back and rectum, making the sitting position more comfortable. It also makes bowel movements easier. So you can also adopt this position while passing stool.
How to do it:
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor
- Keep your legs slightly apart.
- Now gently lean forward, resting your arms on your thighs.
Office & Home Tips to Get Relief from Piles
Here are some natural practices that you can easily incorporate into your routine for faster relief from piles.
1 . Take a Sitz Bath
Sitz Bath is a traditional hydrotherapy technique known in Ayurveda for its healing benefits. This simple yet highly effective practice is a good remedy for piles.
How to prepare a sitz bath?
- Step 1: Fill your bathtub with hot water.
- Step 2: Check for the temperature, if bearable
- Step 3: Now, sit in the water, ensuring that your hips and buttocks are fully submerged.
- Step 4: Soak yourself in it for about 15-20 minutes.
- Step 5: Gently pat the rectal area dry after the bath.
2. Do These Exercises
Regular physical activities can help prevent and alleviate piles by improving blood circulation around the area, reducing the risk of constipation. Doing Kegel exercises during pregnancy also helps to relax your pelvic muscles. Also, a simple 20–30 minute walk daily can give relief from piles.
3. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Hydrate yourself well by drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water daily. Prefer warm or lukewarm water as it can help with easy stool passing and digestion. You can also hydrate yourself with coconut water, herbal tea, buttermilk and juices.
4. Add These Foods to Your Diet
Eat a fibre-rich diet such as mentioned below-
- Whole grains such as oats, brown rice, whole wheat, and barley
- Legumes such as Moong dal, lentils, and chickpeas
- Fruits such as papaya, banana, apple (with peel), figs, prunes
- Vegetables such as Bottle gourd (lauki), pumpkin, spinach, carrots, and beetroots
5. Do These Stress-Relieving Exercises
Try Deep Breathing & Pranayama such as Anulom Vilom and Sheetali Pranayama to manage stress. These stress-relieving exercises enhance blood circulation, promoting healthy digestion. Doing yoga asanas such as Balasana, Viparita Karani, and Pawanmuktasana brings back the balance in doshas, thus giving relief from piles.
6. Try Cold Compress Therapy
This is an Ayurvedic therapy which involves applying ice packs or cold compresses to the anal area to relieve swelling for at least 10-15 minutes.Sit or lie in a relaxed position while applying and clean and pat dry the area afterward. It is also helpful for managing bleeding and non-bleeding piles.
7. Apply Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a natural ingredient that promotes healing during piles. Apply Aloe vera to provide relief from the burning, itching, and swelling caused by hamorrhoids when applied to the anus.
8. Improve Your Bathroom Habits
A healthy bathroom during such times helps in managing piles as it prevents pain and irritation during stool passing.
Here are some bathroom habits that you should adopt in your life –
- Try taking a squatting position while having a bowel movement
- Wash your private area with lukewarm water instead of using harsh toilet paper
- Avoid sitting on the toilet for long periods
- Avoid pushing or forcing during bowel movements
Conclusion
Managing Piles can be challenging due to the symptoms of discomfort, pain, itching, and bleeding. However, you can manage your piles better by adapting to some healthy bathroom habits and trying some natural remedies for quick relief.
Piles can be managed well if you become mindful of your sitting position. Since you are aware of some of the best sitting positions for Hemorrhoids, it’s time to implement them. Along with these natural remedies, try to make your lifestyle better. Ayurveda says that medications alone don’t provide relief unless you adapt to a healthier lifestyle. So, live healthy if you want to manage your piles better.
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Hemorrhoids: Diagnosis & Treatment [Internet]. Mayo Clinic; 2023 [cited 2025 Apr 25]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemorrhoids/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360280
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Hemorrhoids Treatment [Internet]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2023 [cited 2025 Apr 25]. Available from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/hemorrhoids/treatment
- Shah VR, Patel NL. An Overview of Herbal Remedies for Haemorrhoids. Res J Pharm Technol. 2014;7(2):199-203. Available from: https://rjptonline.org/HTMLPaper.aspx?Journal=Research%20Journal%20of%20Pharmacy%20and%20Technology;PID=2014-7-2-17
- Lohsiriwat V. Natural remedies for haemorrhoids and bleeding piles – an update [Internet]. ResearchGate; 2015 [cited 2025 Apr 25]. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288577536_Natural_remedies_for_haemorrhoids_and_bleeding_piles_-an_update