Mel Perry RN DipHE

Colon Hydrotherapy or irrigation, is a very gental treatment using warmed prefiltered water to flush the colon, releasing stored faecal matter, gas, mucus and toxins. It exercises the muscle in the colon wall and can have a soothing effect on any inflammation present. The therapy is particularily useful in treating the following:

Functional bowel conditions; such as Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation.

Some organic disease; such as diverticulosis where regular bowel movements are important.

Many secondary conditions; those effecting other eliminative organs (skin, urinary tract and lungs) if associated with abnormal bowel function.

Cleansing and detoxing the body; if used together with dietry measures.

Some of the benefits that can be felt are as follows:

1. Cleanse the Colon: Toxic material is broken down so it can no longer harm your body or inhibit assimilation and elimination. Even debris built up over a long period is gently, but surely removed in the process of a series of treatments. Once impacted material is removed, your colon can begin again to co-operate as it was intended to. In this very real sense a colonic is a rejuvenation treatment.

2. It Exercises the Colon Muscles: The build up of toxic debris weakens the colon and impairs its functioning. The gentle filling and emptying of the colon improves peristaltic (muscular contraction) activity by which the colon naturally moves material.

3. It Reshapes the Colon: When problem conditions exist in the colon, they tend to alter its shape which in turn causes more problems. The gentle action of the water, coupled with the massage techniques of the colon therapist helps to eliminate bulging pockets of waste and narrowed, spastic constrictions finally enabling the colon to resume its natural state.

4. It Stimulates Reflex Points: Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points colonic stimulates these points, thereby affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way.

Working with a skilled therapist a colonic can be a truly enlightening educational process. You will learn to expand your awareness of your body's functioning by including signals from your abdomen, your skin, your face and even from that most taboo of natural products, your elimination's. You will find that you can spot the beginnings of developing conditions through clues from these body regions and functions before they become serious. You can deal with them sooner and more easily than you otherwise might if you waited until they produce effects seen elsewhere in the body. Also, the solar plexus is the emotional centre of the body and the transverse colon passes right through it. If an emotional event is left uncompleted, it often results in physical tension being stored in the solar plexus, which affects all organs of the area, including the colon. This on-going tightening of the colon muscle results in diminished movement of faecal material through the colon, which is experienced as constipation. Not only do colonics alleviate the constipation, they can assist you in creating a fully holistic view of your body's functioning, leading to a better quality of life.