Men, women, the young and old and virtually all ethnicities - few portions of the population are immune to uncomfortable truths when it comes to our health.
Staff at the N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre (North American Hemorrhoids Centre), aim to confront those health challenges in an open way, free of shame or stigma.
Established in 2006 in Burnaby's Station Square, the centre specializes in all things related to posterior pain: hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal fistulas, anal abscesses and anal eczema.
“Our clients are everyone - over 90% of people have had hemorrhoids,” says co-founder Alison Ying Chen. “For women, normally after delivering a baby, they can have hemorrhoid problems. And for men, it usually comes from what they’re drinking, or if they eat seafood or spicy foods.”
What differentiates the N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre from other treatment methods is a reliance on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Herbal remedies, creams, medication and both micro-procedure and non-surgical options are part of the recovery process.
Some western practices to treat major anorectal problems can result in muscle problems or permanent damage.
A referral from a doctor is not needed to access the services at the N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre and treatments begin immediately after a patient reaches out.
“Other methods focus on removing the hemorrhoids but not on fixing the root causes,” Ying Chen says. “Our treatment focuses on not only removing the hemorrhoid but also looking at the root causes: helping the patient with their diet and changing their lifestyle to prevent the hemorrhoids from coming back.”
The staff at N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre has decades of experience and were trained back in 1979.
That multitude of experiences lends itself to conversations that could otherwise be awkward.
“Number one, we are professional and knowledgeable. We are focusing on the problem and symptoms,” Ying Chen adds. “When people have these problems, they feel embarrassed or very shy to talk about their problems. But in this clinic, we have professionals, and we have doctors who are focusing on how to treat the problem. This makes people feel like they’re going to get rid of the problem and not focus on something else.”
For more information about N.A. Hemorrhoid Centre, visit vannatcm.com.
