Colonics & Constipation

Colonics is an alternative medicine practice believed to prevent and relieve constipation with a long list of other names : colon irrigation, colonic irrigation, colon hydrotherapy, colonic hydrotherapy and colon lavage. During a colonic, a colon hydroptherapist flushes the colon with warm filtered water.

It is recommended that the client fast before the procedure. After a consultation session with a colon hydrotherapist, the client changes into a gown, lies on an inclined table with a "built-in potty" at the base. A speculum is inserted into the anus mostly by the therapist, sometimes the client can do this step themselves.

Warm filtered water is slowly directed into the colon, again there are choices of either using pump or gravity. The volume ranges between 20 gallons to 40 gallons for a "high colonic". The water causes muscles on the colon to contract and pushes feces out into an evacuation hose. The colon hydroptherapist mayu also massage the abdomen lightly to work the water through the colon.

The client is free to "let go" of the feces or, whatever that is expelled, through the evacuation hose - no worries...no smell, no mess. Both the client and therapist can look at the flushed out objects that present themselves in a lighted viewing tube. Sometimes, there maybe surprises :-)

When the session is over, usually about 40 minutes, the therapist leaves the room. The client uses the toilet, gets dressed and is advised to take probiotics.

As with other alternative medicine practices, there are proponents and skeptics of colonics even among medical doctors.

"We're all toxic dumpsites...It comes from not getting properly rid of the things we eat. Colon hydrotherapy is a body clean-out. It's more aesthetic than a bowel movement. A bowel movement is not a thing of beauty. But a colonic can be." ---Dr. Robert Charm, gastroenterologist & professor of medicine at the University of California.*

"It's insane."---Dr. Stephen Barrett, a retired psychiatrist and investigative reporter of quackwatch.com*

Many sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome who reported constipation relief from colon hydrotherapy are likely to agree with Dr. Charm. I think until a well-documented study is done on the effects of this ancient mode of purging the colon which is viewed as quackery by medical science, the disagreement goes on.

Contemplating on getting your colon flushed? Consult your doctor first as people with certain medical conditions and pregnant women should not have a colonic. Get to know the possible risks. See to that your butt comes into contact with machines as clean as the ones that serviced Princess Diana. :-)

*reference: " A Thing of Beauty- should we flush our colons or leave them alone?" by Jon Bowen.

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