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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Colon Hydrotherapy
What is colon hydrotherapy?
Colon hydrotherapy is referred to as colon irrigation, colonics, colon therapy or high enemas. Regardless of the name, they all refer to the use of water for internal cleansing of the colon (large intestines), without the use of drugs or chemicals.
What exactly does colon hydrotherapy accomplish?
Colon hydrotherapy is a process of removing fecal material from the colon and diluting the bacteria and toxic concentrations in the large intestines (colon). The therapeutic effects are: improved muscle tone which facilitates peristaltic action and enhances the absorption of nutrients, while minimizing the absorption of toxic waste material.
How does a person know if they need colon hydrotherapy?
Everyone can benefit from some internal cleansing. Everyday our bodies are exposed to toxins and pollutants in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Our modern life style has taken its toll on our digestive and elimination organs. Refined, processed, low fiber foods, animal fats, lack of exercise and ever increasing levels of stress all contribute to our currant gastro-intestinal health crisis. When waste and toxins can be eliminated from the body there is no problem. But when these build up faster than can be eliminated, or when the elimination systems are under active, these toxins accumulate and create the necessary preconditions for disease in the body.
What can I expect from colon hydrotherapy?
Colon hydrotherapy is not a cure, but a valuable procedure used to assist the body with the reversal of a wide variety of health conditions, known to stem from improper diet and elimination habits. The therapy should be considered a preventative and health enhancement alternative rather than treatment for disease.
Will laxatives or enemas accomplish the same result?
Laxatives are considered to be an irritant and stimulant to the colon. They cause an unnatural contraction of the muscles wall instead of promoting the natural peristalsis. Long term laxative use will hamper the peristaltic activity. They draw water from the body and produce a thin watery substance that clears only the most recently digested waste from the colon and leaves behind the impacted waste on the colon walls. Enemas are fine to clear out the lower part of the rectum and colon, but miss about four feet of colon.
How is colon hydrotherapy different?
It is a gentle infusion of water in and out of the colon, reaching all four to five feet, allowing waste to be removed. With an experienced colon therapist, additional waste can be eliminated by messaging the abdomen gently and addressing different acupressure points and instructing the client with breathing techniques.
What is auto-intoxification?
When we do not eliminate our waste, toxins circulate in our blood and can create auto-intoxication or self-poisoning. This occurs when the colon walls become weak and undigested food begins to enter the bloodstream. Old accumulated matter in the colon provides a breeding ground for unhealthy bacteria. This affects all of our body cells, tissues and organs. This lowers overall performance of our bodily functions and sets the stage for serious health problems.
What are common symptoms of intestinal toxicity?
Fatigue; constipation; excess weight; stomach bloat; gas; bad breath; coated tongue; body odor; skin problem; lower back pain; depression; poor memory; weakened immune system and feeling lethargy.
What is constipation?
The medical dictionary defines this condition as difficult or infrequent passage of feces. or it can refer to the hardness of the stool. Those who agree with the natural approaches believe a state of constipation can also exist when the bowel movement appears normal in spite of accumulations of waste along the colon. So what is normal? If you have a bowel movement once a day or once every two or three days, it may be considered normal, but it is not healthy. Consider for instance, that babies eliminate shortly after each meal. Their new digestive systems have not had the time to develop problems caused by improper diets, environmental toxins and stress. If you are eating three meals a day and are eliminating only once, it is prudent to ask yourself where the other two meals are hiding.
What are the therapeutic indications for colon hydrotherapy?
Overall health care maintenance; constipation; diarrhea; Atonic (sluggish) colon, mild/moderate hemorrhoids; intestinal detoxification; bowel training for para/quadriplegics; chronic fatigue syndrome; Candida iliac us; following pregnancy; preparation for bowel test; after barium enemas; irritable bowel syndromes; during weight loss/fasting programs; part of drug rehabilitation program; Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy; surgery- pre and post op.
What are the indications under a doctor's guidance or recommendation?
Acute fecal impactions; colitis; mucous colitis; parasite infestation; nutrient supplementation vie rectum; diverticulosis; diverticulitis; ulcerative colitis; Chron's disease; hyper/hypothermia; colostomy cleansing; and acute debilitating medical condition.
Are there any absolute contra indications for colon hydrotherapy?
Yes, Cancer of the colon or G. I. tract; Severe cardiac Disease (uncontrolled hypertension or congestive heart failure); Aneurysm; GI Hemorrhage/perforation; severe hemorrhoids, fissures/fistulas; advanced pregnancy; abdominal hernia; recent colon or rectal surgery; Renal Insufficiency and possible history of seizures, epilepsy or psychoses.
What's different between colonics and enemas?
- Colonics hydrate the whole large intestine. Starting with water entering the rectum, colon and cecum.
- Enemas work with gravity allowing water to hydrate the first part of the large intestine, the rectum and the sigmoid colon.
Will colon hydrotherapy affect the bacteria that reside in the colon?
Research has determined there are more than thirty-six different species of bacteria as well as yeast, fungi and viruses that reside in the colon and play an important role in health and disease. Of these bacteria, more than twenty are formed in the stool of flesh eaters, all of which produce very highly toxic products. It is a well known fact that good bacteria, the bacteria that is necessary for proper digestion, has difficulty surviving when the colon is encrusted with old putrefied waste. Good nutrition and the addition of lacto bacterium acidophilus to a diet after the therapy will help replenish the good bacteria in the colon.
How often is colon hydrotherapy necessary?
After your first therapy, your colon hydro therapist will be able to assist you based upon what is observed during the procedure, your dietary habit history and your expectations or goals for cleansing and life style change. During the first session the client may expel considerable amounts of gas, and recently digested food and waste, before one starts dislodging the old encrusted feculent matter. Remember, that colonics are a process of removing impaction of mucus and encrustation which have been built upon the colon wall layer by layer over many years. Reversing the situation may take a series of therapy sessions. Most clients begin feeling better and removing large amounts of waste matter by the third treatment if the treatments are very close together. Three with in one weeks time is ideal, the closer together the more effective the therapies.
What is the difference between a "low" colonic and a "high" colonic?
A low irrigation, now called a colonic means the rectal tube (speculum) is inserted only 3-4 inches into the rectum; while in the "high" irrigation or high colonic, a 54 inch or longer tube is inserted into the colon. In a low colonic the water enters the rectum and slowly softens the fecal material from the rectum thru the sigmoid into the descending, transverse and ascending parts of the colon. While in the high colonic, the tube is inserted "high" up into the colon and then water attempts to flush the fecal material from the ascending colon to the rectum. We use a low irrigation system.
What are the differences between open systems vs. closed systems?
At Healing within we use a closed system. Closed systems allow fecal matter to go directly from the speculum, in the rectum, through the tube and away, just like it would when we flush it down the toilet. Never does one come in contact with fecal matter or smell anything, protecting the client and therapist from bacteria and contamination.
An open system is where one sits on a chair and eliminates within the hole formed on the chair. Smell and contact with fecal matter are incorporated within this experience.
How long does it take to receive a therapy?
The sessions vary according to people's needs and response. The appointments are 1 ½ hrs long but may run longer if the client needs more time. The actual cleaning takes about 40 to 45 min. There are some hot and cold packs available if the client requests them before the hydrotherapy session. The first session may be longer due to an evaluation performed prior to the first treatment.
What results can be expected from receiving a therapy?
Some of the positive results people often experience include a profound cleanness and lightness. Others speak of a renewed energy and mental alertness. Still others enjoy relief of toxic feelings which they were not otherwise able to eliminate. Occasionally, some people experience an emotional release as they "let go" of old matter they've been holding onto.
What should you eat before a Colon Hydrotherapy session?
The reason for this diet is to limit the work the digestive tract is doing while we are working on the cleaning. It will have enough going on and we don't want to overdo it.
- 2 days before the session eat smaller amounts of food during a meal
- Eat - soups, light foods. Juice your vegetables, drink juices, tea and water.
- 24 hours before a session please try to not eat red meat, heavy raw fruits or vegetables, heavy starches, breads or milk products
- After the session, be gentle with your colon. It is very likely you will get hungry right after the session. Do not eat heavy, greasy foods. Do not consume alcohol because your colon is extra absorbent. It is best to stay with the soups and light food for the next day.
- Juices and tea are great as well a juicing your vegetables. The colon needs 24 hrs to put a new lining on the colon wall that is used for protection. Items with harder edges might scrap the side so you want to avoid them the day of the colonic and for 24hrs after.
- Miso is wonderful to add to your soup. It adds good bacterial into the digestive tract. It is also very advantages to take Bifid bacteria and Acidophilus.
Why is it important to detoxify our bodies?
Everyday our bodies are exposed to toxins and pollutants in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the denaturing of bonds by microwaves, the skin products with petroleum; there's a carcinogen around every corner.
The American diet consists mostly of processed, over cooked foods, genetically engineered foods, fast foods and junk food. A stressful lifestyle will also contribute to poor digestion, a build up of toxins circulating throughout the blood stream and a "plaque" build up along the colon walls; decreasing the amount of elimination and stretching out the colon. Avoiding these foods and stressors are not always doable. Therefore cleansing and detoxification through colonics and cleanses will promote the immune system, the lymphatic system, the circulatory system and the digestive system!
Use of medications and drugs actually increase the risk of losing areas of protective mucosal lining and cause irritation and excess mucus production as a way to protect the intestinal tract. This is contributed to a condition known as leaky gut, a situation where toxins are absorbed into the blood stream. "When this happens the body does not recognize the toxin and therefore, goes into a self attack mode creating antibodies. It is widely known that this is the actual beginning of many autoimmune disorders.
What is Candidiasis?
Currently, it's an epidemic within the United States, where millions of Americans have a yeast over growth due to a toxic body, use of antibiotics, birth control pills, immune system dysfunction, hormonal imbalances, diet, stress.
Yeast itself is a vegetable organism and is a very strong invasive parasite that attaches itself to the intestinal wall and becomes a permanent resident of our internal organs. It is estimated to affect over 30 million men and women every day. It is also estimated that nearly half of the world's population has or will have a moderate or severe Candida condition at some point in their lives. Normally a healthy immune system will keep Candida levels at bay but if the immune system is weakened due to improper elimination it is an opportunistic antigen that thrives in a polluted environment. Candidiasis if permitted to grow will produce roots called rhizoids that will puncture the mucosal lining of the intestines. These microscopic holes allow food, bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and yeasts like Candida to flow freely into the bloodstream. This can result in the development of food allergies, environmental/chemical sensitivities, and ultimately autoimmune disease processes.
How does stress affect our immune system?
Stress when it is turned into distress affects every tissue of the body, breaks down the immune system and hinders proper digestion, absorption and elimination. Other factors contributing to this overload are lack of exercise, overeating, not drinking enough purified water and most importantly, ignoring our emotions. There are more serotonin receptor sites along the digestive tract than in the spinal cord and brain combined!
Common symptoms of excess toxins include:
- Constipation
- Excess weight
- Bloating
- Gas
- Headaches
- Chronic sinus problems
- Infections
- Poor memory
- Inability to concentrate
- Insomnia
- Menstrual problems
- Prostate enlargement
- Depression
- Skin eruptions
- Yeast infections
- Fatigue
Our bodies are so resilient that we will adapt to the above symptoms and only become aware of toxins when we eventually realize it is hard to get out of bed, or our bodies ache, or food allergies "suddenly" appear.
Research sows that the veins will become 75% blocked before we even feel pain.
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