- Exactly what is the colon and what does it do?
- What is the purpose of getting colon hydrotherapy?
- What will colon hydrotherapy do for my colon?
- How can I tell if I have toxic material in my colon?
- Are colon hydrotherapy cleansings safe?
- How does colon hydrotherapy compare to an enema?
- Can I be constipated even if I have 1, 2 or 3 bowel movements a day?
- How many times do I need to have colon hydrotherapy?
- Are colon hydrotherapy treatments habit-forming?
- Are there any additional benefits that I might expect from colon hydrotherapy?
- How much of the intestines are actually cleansed during a colon hydrotherapy treatment?
- Should I see my doctor before having a colon cleansing?
- How long does a treatment take?
- Does having a menstrual period at the time of the colon hydrotherapy have any effect on the success of the treatment?
- What should I do to prepare for a colon cleansing?
- Is there any possibility of bacterial or viral contamination from prior use of the colon hydrotherapy instrument?
- Is the water purified?
- Will I experience any intestinal discomfort during the cleansing?
- What can I expect afterwards?
- Won’t colon hydrotherapy treatments damage the normal intestinal flora?
- I’ve heard that I shouldn’t get colon hydrotherapy because it upsets the electrolyte balance. What’s that all about?
- Will one colon hydrotherapy treatment empty the colon?
- I have been told that to be beneficial one needs to have a series of colon hydrotherapy treatments. What does that mean, and is it true?
- Will colon hydrotherapy clear up my skin?
- Suppose I have been suffering from constipation for a long time, will colon hydrotherapy help?
- What effect does colon hydrotherapy have on our immune systems?
- What do you think about getting colon hydrotherapy as part of a fasting program, and do you think it’s better to get it at the beginning or end of the fast?
- Can I work after a colon cleansing?
- Will I be able to eat soon after getting a colon hydrotherapy treatment?
- Why haven’t I heard more about colon hydrotherapy?
- What are the characteristics of a healthy, well functioning colon?
Q Exactly what is the colon and what does it do?
A The colon, or large intestine, is the end portion of the human digestive tract. The colon is approximately 5 feet long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Its major functions are to eliminate waste and to conserve water. A healthy colon also provides a home for the good bacteria that synthesize valuable nutrients such as vitamins K and portions of the B complex.
Q What is the purpose of getting colon hydrotherapy?
A Waste material, especially waste that has remained in the colon for some time, (i.e., impacted feces, dead cellular tissue, accumulated mucous, parasites, worms, etc.), poses several problems. First this material is quite toxic. These poisons can re-enter and circulate in the blood stream making us feel ill, tired and weak. Second, impacted materials impair the colon’s ability to assimilate minerals and bacteria-produced vitamins. And finally, a buildup of material on the colon wall can inhibit muscular action causing sluggish bowel movements, constipation and many resulting disorders.
Q What will colon hydrotherapy do for my colon?
A Colon hydrotherapy accomplishes the following:
- Cleanses 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 removed in the process of a series of irrigations. Once impacted material is removed, your colon can begin again to cooperate as it was meant to.
- 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 stimulates peristaltic (muscular) contraction activity which is the natural motion the colon uses to move material through and out of the body.
- It stimulates reflex points: Every system and organ of the body is connected to the colon by reflex points. A colon hydrotherapy session stimulates these points affecting the corresponding body parts in a beneficial way (similar to reflexology).
Q How can I tell if I have toxic material in my colon?
A Common signs include: headaches, backaches, constipation, fatigue, bad breath, body odor, irritability, confusion, skin blemishes, abdominal gas, bloating, diarrhea, sciatic pain, etc. As you can see, intestinal toxicity is part and parcel of many people’s everyday experience. Toxicity is not limited to the colon. Once the colon is overloaded, then toxins begin showing up throughout the body, particularly in fat tissue (cellulite), joints, arteries, muscles, liver, etc.
Q Are colon hydrotherapy cleansings safe?
A Yes. In fact, with the latest colon hydrotherapy equipment used by Clear Path Wellness Center, sessions are much safer than the common enema. At Clear Path your therapist stays in the room with you, monitoring the session while giving explanations and facilitating a positive outcome.
Q How does colon hydrotherapy compare to an enema?
A An enema only bathes the lower part of the colon, whereas a colon cleansing bathes the entire length of the colon, approximately 5 to 5 1/2 feet. A colon cleansing is many more times effective, according to learned centenarian, Dr. Normal Walker, who said “ One colon hydrotherapy is equivalent to 30 enemas.”
Q Can I be constipated even if I have 1, 2 or 3 bowel movements a day?
A Yes. Accumulated wastes, mucous and gas in the colon may inhibit natural peristaltic action, resulting in incomplete, though frequent, bowel movements.
Q How many times do I need to have colon hydrotherapy?
A Often the waste is so hard and deeply lodged in the colon that it may take a series of colon hydrotherapy sessions to sufficiently soften and loosen it. Colon hydrotherapy sessions also stimulate the liver, kidney and lymph system to dump toxins. The number of sessions varies with each individual and his/her condition. Your therapist can best advise you regarding this.
Q Are colon hydrotherapy sessions habit-forming?
A No. The purpose of cleansing the colon is to allow it to relax and rejuvenate and to promote better peristalsis.
Q Are there any additional benefits that I might expect from colon hydrotherapy?
A Yes, there are several. Working with your therapist, colon hydrotherapy can be a truly enlightening educational process. You will learn to expand your awareness of your body’s function by including signals form your abdomen, your skin, your face and your eliminations.
You will find that you can spot the beginnings of developing conditions through the clues provided by your body before they become serious. You can deal with them sooner and more easily than if you waited until they produced effects seen elsewhere in your body.
Also, the solar plexus is the emotional center 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 ongoing tightening of the colon muscle results in diminished movement of fecal material throughout the colon, which is experienced as constipation.
Therefore Colon Hydrotheray can assist you in recognizing and releasing the stored emotion causing the problem. In effect, colon hydrotherapy assists you in creating a fully holistic view of your body’s functioning, leading to a better quality of life.
Q How much of the intestines are actually cleansed during a colon hydrotherapy treatment?
A During a session, we are actually able to bathe the full length of the colon, but we are not able to cleanse the small intestine. The buildup in the small intestine is cleared with the help of cleansing the colon, dietary changes, plus nutritional aids like fiber, enzyme and flora supplementation taken during your series of colon hydrotherapy sessions.
Q Should I see my doctor before having a colon cleansing?
A If there is something organically or internally wrong, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor. However, since colon hydrotherapy session, professionally administered with modern instruments, are safer than home enemas, a medical examination is not required except for those who are ill.
Q How long does a session take?
A Between 35 to 45 minutes. We ask our new clients to plan on being at our center for approximately 1 hour. The first 30 minutes will include completing some paperwork and watching a short video on colon health. One hour room time is reserved for your colon hydrotherapy session.
Q Does having a menstrual period at the time of the colon hydrotherapy have any effect on the success of the session?
A No, in fact it’s usually a good time to receive a session since your body is already cleansing. Your menstrual flow will not interfere with the success of the process. Flushing the colon will also reduce abdominal pressure often associated with menstrual cycles.
Q What should I do to prepare for a colon cleansing?
A Refrain from eating for 1 to 2 hours before the cleansing, be as relaxed as possible and maintain a positive, cheerful attitude. Be well hydrated but avoid carbonated beverages, because they will add gas to the colon.
Q Is there any possibility of bacterial or viral contamination from prior use of the colon hydrotherapy instrument?
A The colon hydrotherapy equipment used by Clear Path Wellness Center uses individually packaged, disposable hoses and speculums. Since these accessories are only used once and then thrown away, there is no danger of contamination. We also rinse the equipment with a hospital-grade disinfectant solution between each client.
A The water we use for colon hydrotherapy starts as tap water and we clean it further. We use 2 filters plus an ultraviolet light to remove chlorine, metals and particles from the water, and to kill any viruses or bacteria that might be present.
Q Will I experience any intestinal discomfort during the cleansing?
A Not usually, but since the cleansing will stir up a lot of old debris and toxins; you might experience some nausea or fatigue. Sometimes during your session, the colon muscles will contract suddenly expelling considerable amounts of liquid and waste into the rectum. This may feel like cramping or gas and may create a feeling of urgency to empty the rectum. Such episodes, if they do occur, are brief and easily tolerated because the waste material will soon be expelled through the outflow tube.
At the Clear Path Wellness Center, we take time to administer your colon hydrotherapy in a slow and gentle manner. Your sensitivity and emotions are acknowledged and honored. As a result, our clients experience little if any discomfort during or after their sessions.
Most people actually enjoy their colon hydrotherapy and are especially pleased with the sensation of feeling lighter, cleaner and more clear afterward.
Q What can I expect afterwards?
A Most likely, you’ll feel great. Probably you’ll feel lighter and enjoy a sense of well being. Not infrequently, someone getting their first colon hydrotherapy will remark that it was one of the most wonderful experiences of their life. Any activity you would ordinarily be doing, such as work or exercise, is just fine to do. For some, the colon hydrotherapy may trigger several subsequent bowel movements for the next few hours, but there won’t be any uncontrollable urgency or discomfort.
Occasionally clients will report feeling very tired following a session. This is not abnormal and we ask clients to honor their body’s signals and use the time for resting and restoring.
Q Won’t colon hydrotherapy treatments damage the normal intestinal flora?
A Accumulation of encrusted feces in the colon makes it impossible for the tisues to produce the necessary intestinal flora, resulting in increased constipation. Cleansing the colon helps bring the acid-alkaline ratio back into balance, allowing friendly bacteria to thrive, while inhibiting disease-causing organisms. We recommend that you assist the body in this process by orally taking a good flora to reintroduce friendly bacteria into the colon.
Q I’ve heard that I shouldn’t get colon hydrotherapy because it upsets the electrolyte balance. What’s that all about?
A Electrolytes are the minerals in the body (mainly sodium and potassium salts) that maintain the proper electrical charge and pH balance (acid and alkaline balance) in the various organs and tissues of the body. Each one of these tissues, organs and body cavities has a certain proportion and balance of minerals to maintain the necessary pH balance. For example, the stomach should maintain an acid pH and the duodenum (first part of the small intestine) should be alkaline in order for proper digestion to occur. If this balance is disrupted, then digestion will be impaired.
The pH electrical balance in the colon is very near neutral, ideally being slightly acid. A strong acid or alkaline environment is not necessary because digestion does not take place in the colon. Rather, a major function of the colon is to re-absorb the fluid from the unformed stool that is passed into it from the small intestine. After the fluid is re-absorbed and stool is formed, the colon moves the stool into the rectum and out of the body.
The majority of material released during colon hydrotherapy is formed stool that has already had the fluid and electrolytes removed from it, so the amount lost is very minimal and easily replaced by the body from the food and fluid we ingest.
As an added precaution following your session, your therapist will give you a glass of purified water and a mixture of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to drink. This product contains all you need to restore the small amount of minerals that may be lost during your therapy session.
Q Will one colon hydrotherapy session empty the colon?
A Almost never. First of all, many of us have a considerable amount of impacted feces in our colon. This is hardened, rubbery or wallpaper-like material. Substantial work must be done to remove it.
Second there is a subtle learning process involved in receiving colon hydrotherapy. As you become more aware of what is going on in your abdomen, and as your body learns to allow the cleansing experience, you are better able to enter into that process, and more material is released. One hydrotherapy session will remove some of the stagnant waste in the colon. The second and subsequent sessions will remove more. How many you may wish to have will depend upon the condition of your colon and your personal objective. Discuss this with your therapist.
Q I have been told that to be beneficial one needs to have a series of colon hydrotherapy sessions. What does that mean, and is it true?
A. Any number of colon hydrotherapy sessions will be beneficial, even if you choose to have only one or two. However, if your objective is to overcome a longstanding habit of constipation and/or to achieve vital health, this may require, in addition to possible dietary, exercise and attitudinal changes, regular colon hydrotherapy for some time. How many depends on the condition of your body and colon and how your body and colon respond to the sessions.
Having colon hydrotherapy regularly for a while, such as daily, weekly or multiple times per week, is what is referred to as a series. To obtain results of lasting benefit, usually a series of colon hydrotherapy sessions must be undertaken. Again, this can be properly assessed once an objective is identified and the condition of your colon is determined.
A Your skin actually breathes and is an important organ of elimination of waste material. Sometimes, if the colon, liver or kidneys are functioning poorly, the skin will be required to make up the difference. Surface eruptions on the skin of various sorts may occur due to toxins being released.
Cleansing and healing the colon diminishes the burden placed upon the skin to eliminate toxins via this route.
A There are three factors involved in having a well functioning colon: diet, exercise and attitude. All three must be in balance for the colon to function well. Often, the colon has been sluggish for so long, it has become severely weakened due to being constantly bathed in toxic waste, stretched from holding excessive stool, and frequently constricted by chronic tension in the colon.
The process of colon hydrotherapy is excellent for cleansing and assisting the healing of the colon sufficiently so that changes in diet, exercise and attitude are then able to produce their effects. Many people find the relief provided by colon hydrotherapy stimulates the motivation and enthusiasm to institute positive changes in their lifestyle.
A The removal of stagnant waste material and hardened, impacted toxic residue could rejuvenate the immune tissue that resides in the intestines. Recent European studies speculate that 80% of immune tissue resides in the intestines. This is much higher than previously thought and makes it logical to believe that colon hydrotherapy provides a positive influence for our most important defense against disease – our immune system. Colon hydrotherapy is not a cure-all, but an important adjunctive therapy in your overall health care.
Q What do you think about getting colon hydrotherapy as part of a fasting program, and do you think it’s better to get it at the beginning or end of the fast?
A Whenever you do anything that increases the rate at which toxins are released into the blood stream, it is essential that you eliminate whatever you can through the colon. If you don’t, you may unnecessarily experience increased discomforts of toxemia (poisonous toxins in the bloodstream).
Instead of being expelled from your body, toxins may merely recirculate and settle elsewhere in organs, muscles or tissues. Whether you use colon hydrotherapy or some other elimination aid, you want your bowels to move daily. A talk with your therapist can be of great assistance during any cleansing program. You may find it beneficial to schedule a colon hydrotherapy treatment at the beginning of your fast and ask your therapist to comment upon your plan.
A Certainly. Colon hydrotherapy should not interfere with your scheduled day.
A In general, eat a moderate amount of whatever seems gentle and nourishing to you. Salads, vegetable soups, fruit and vegetable juices are the best choice. Discuss this with your therapist. If you have a particular issue with your colon, like an overgrowth of candida or excess mucous, your therapist may suggest foods that support the improvement of these conditions.
A In a way, the answer to that is a commentary on our present-day lifestyle. Historically, artifacts and records show that people have regularly purified their bodies, including cleansing the colon.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the present-day colon hydrotherapy machine was developed, providing a significantly improved method of accomplishing colon cleansing. Up to the late 1920’s, many medical doctors had colon hydrotherapy equipment in their offices, and machines were found in hospitals as well. Articles dealing with colon health frequently appeared in prestigious medical and scientific journals until the early 1930’s.
At that time, modern man began a 50-year love affair with drugs and surgery. These seemed to offer relatively instant relief for body ailments, resulting in purification and prevention techniques becoming less attractive.
Recently, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in using natural approaches for healing the body, and colon hydrotherapy has rapidly been regaining in recognition and popularity.
A Healthy babies, animals and adults not subjected to the refinements of civilization have bowel movements shortly after each meal is eaten. Assuming there is sufficient fiber and water available to the colon, one characteristic is a bowel movement shortly after a meal is eaten. Once the urge to eliminated is honored by a trip to the toilet, the elimination should be easy and take nor more than 10 seconds. The stool will be long, large in diameter, light brown in color, without offensive odor and should float or sink very slowly. When the toilet is flushed, the stool immediately begins breaking apart by the action of water movement. As incredible as this may sound, it is true and commonly experienced in cultures where people live more naturally.
