History of Colon Hydrotherapy, Cleanse, Detox and Colonic Irrigation (Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Vaughan)

Would you like to know where to get a colonic in Ontario or a good colon cleanser? Best place to have colon hydrotherapy done as at Vitalife Digestive Wellness Clinics in Toronto. Learn about what foods to eat to cleanse your colon and the various types of colonic treatments to assist in weight loss. Ontario has many colon hydrotherapy and wellness centres in cities such as Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, Oakville and Burlington. Try natural digestive wellness clinics near Vaughan, Yorkville, Markham and other areas for a professional cleanse and detox.

History of Colon Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy (colon hydrotherapy), as its name implies, is water therapy. The most simple and popular form of colon hydrotherapy is the enema. The enema involves infusion of water into the anus. This practice is referenced as far back in medical history as the first century A.D. by Galen, considered the greatest physician since Hippocrates.

Initially, enemas were the province of the medical community, though their practice was turned over to apprentices, barbers and attendants, rather than being administered directly by the physician. The use of enema syringes, which were called clysters, became wildly popular in the 17th century. No home was without one! The fluid carried in the clyster was often embellished with color and fragrance, and it was not uncommon for people to have as many as three to four daily rectal infusions. Monarchs were particularly privileged in this regard: history records that Louis XIII received more than 200 enemas in one single year! As time passed, “enema mania” faded, improvements were made in the process, and, by the early 19th century, colon hydrotherapy became once again the province of the medical community.

At times, medications, nutrients and other therapeutic substances have been administered via enemas. One of the most interesting of these substances has been coffee. Not only are coffee enemas referenced in the literature of folk medicine, they were even listed in the Merck Manual (a major reference book used by medical doctors) until 1977.3 While coffee enemas have some benefit to the colon, their major therapeutic value lies in the effect of the caffeine upon the liver and gallbladder.

Among of the many benefits of coffee enemas are:

    * Increased peristalsis
    * Discharge of toxins from the bile duct
    * Stimulation of glutathione production (which helps liver detoxification pathways)
    * Breakdown of fat that has accumulated in the liver cells

The coffee enema is a form of retention enema, one that is held in or retained in the body for a period of time, sometimes for a matter of minutes, sometimes overnight. Retention is not difficult since typically only one to two cups of liquid is used.

Wheat grass retention enemas are sometimes used therapeutically by natural healthcare practitioners — 1 oz. of wheat grass juice to 1 cup of warm water. Wheat grass is highly beneficial as it contains all nutrients needed for healing. Retention enemas of probiotics have been effectively used to replenish beneficial bacteria in the colon.

In the 1900s J.H. Kellogg, MD, of Battle Creek, Michigan (and cornflakes fame) popularized colon hydrotherapy in the US. He reported in 1917 in the Journal of the American Medical Association that he had successfully treated all but 20 of 40,000 gastrointestinal patients using no surgery — only diet, exercise and enemas.

Word of Dr. Kellogg’s successful therapeutic use of enemas led to the development of advanced colon cleansing equipment to perform the colon-cleansing procedures known as colonics or colonic irrigations. Their practice, like that of enemas, is based on the recognition that a sluggish colon leads to re-absorption of toxins in the body.

This recognition has its roots in antiquity. Colon hydro therapy was first recorded in ancient Egyptian documents. It was also mentioned in the writings of the Sumerians, Chinese, Hindus, Greeks and Romans. It is said that the practice of colonic therapy in its most basic form, the enema, was passed down from the gods to the Egyptians.
By the 1950s, colon hydro therapy was flourishing in the United States. In fact, prestigious Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, California was then known as “colonic row.” By the mid-1960s, however, the use of colon hydrotherapy had slowly dwindled. By the early 1970s, most colon hydrotherapy instruments were removed from hospitals and nursing homes, being displaced by the use of prescription laxatives and surgery. At this point in time, the use of colon hydrotherapy left the domain of medicine, becoming once again the domain of the lay practitioner.

The late Dr. Bernard Jensen, DC, among many other contributions to the natural health field, popularized the use of colon hydrotherapy or colonics in conjunction with herbs in his classic book, Tissue Cleansing through Bowel Management, introduced in 1981. In this book, Dr. Jensen detailed an intensive seven-day cleansing program pioneered by the late Dr. V.E. Irons. The program features the use of cleansing drinks containing fiber and clay water (which absorbs toxins), specific supplements designed to nourish the body and loosen accumulations on the bowel wall, and twice-daily colemas (colon therapy with a colon-cleansing device that uses the force of gravity to infuse large amounts of water into the colon). The supplements and drinks specified in the program substitute for solid food for the seven-day period. Dr. Jensen’s book contains some very graphic and impressive photographs showing both the morbid matter that can build up in the colon and the spectacular healing (of the skin) that can occur as a result of removing it.


Colon Hydrotherapy Today

A colonic is basically an extended and more complete form of enema. Both the enema and the colonic involve the infusion of water into the colon through the anal opening. However, the enema is a one-time infusion of water into the rectum. The patient takes in as much as a quart of water, holds it for a time, and then releases it directly into the toilet. In contrast, colonic treatments (now known as colon hydrotherapy sessions) involve repeated infusions of filtered, warm water into all segments of the colon by a certified colon therapist. During the course of a treatment, the patient lies comfortably on his or her back.

Colon hydrotherapists are trained to use massage techniques to help relax abdominal muscles and ensure that all areas of the colon are adequately irrigated. While the colon is filled and emptied a few times during one 45-minute session, there is no need for the client to leave the table to expel the water. The passage of the water in and out of the colon is controlled by the therapist who operates the colonic apparatus, while the client lies still on the table. As the water leaves the body, it passes through a clear viewing tube, allowing both client and therapist to see what is being eliminated from the colon. In addition to fecal matter, gas bubbles, mucus and parasites are often seen.

There is no odor or health risk involved in the colonic procedure when performed properly by a trained, certified colon therapist. Therapeutic benefits of colon hydrotherapy include improved tone of colonic muscles, reduced stagnation of intestinal contents, reduced toxic waste absorption and the thorough cleansing and balancing of the colon.

Your colon can hold a great deal of waste material. That which is not eliminated promptly putrefies, adding to the toxic load of your body. Many people with “potbellies” may actually have several pounds of old, hardened fecal matter lodged within their colons. While colon hydrotherapy is not actually a weight loss procedure, it does often result in significant weight loss due to its ability to efficiently reduce the toxic burden of the large intestine. Furthermore, several ailments have been associated with colon toxicity.

People with conditions listed in below may benefit from colon hydrotherapy.

·         Acne

·         Allergies

·         Arthritis

·         Asthma

·         Attention Deficit Disorder

·         Body odor

·         Brittle nails

·         Brittle hair

·         Chest pain

·         Chronic fatigue

·         Cold hands and feet

·         Colitis

·         Constipation

·         Fibromyalgia

·         Headaches

·         Hypertension

·         Irritable Bowel Syndrome

·         Joint aches

·         Memory lapses

·         Mouth sores

·         Multiple sclerosis

·         Muscle pain

·         Nausea

·         Peptic ulcer

·         Peripheral neuropathies

·         Pigmentation

·         Poor posture

·         Potbelly

·         Seizures

·         Skin rashes

·         Spastic colon

·         Toxic environmental exposure

Colon hydrotherapy has helped many people overcome constipation. Unlike chemical laxatives, it does not encourage dependency, but rather helps to tone the bowel, gently prompting it to resume normal functioning.

Your cleansing, as well as your overall health, will be aided significantly by the addition of colon hydro-therapy sessions. Such therapy stimulates the liver, your body’s major organ of detoxification, helping it to eliminate toxins.

Colon hydrotherapy also benefits your body’s lymphatic system, for when the intestinal walls are impacted, the lymphatic system retains and continuously re-circulates cellular waste. Your lymphatic system (your body’s sewage system) become stagnant when the normally clear lymph fluid becomes thick with cellular debris, toxins, microorganisms and dietary fats. Thickened, stagnant lymph contributes to fatigue, malaise (vague feeling of illness) and weight gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and buttocks.4

Look for a colon therapist certified by the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy (I-ACT). These therapists use FDA-registered equipment, disposable rectal nozzles (called speculums) and filtered water. I-ACT is the worldwide certifying body for colon hydro-therapists. The organization works in conjunction with local municipalities to regulate colonic hydrotherapy by establishing standards and guidelines.

If you are able to add one or more colon hydrotherapy sessions to your cleansing regime, it can greatly facilitate your progress, and help to prevent or alleviate the symptoms associated with cleansing reactions (and with colon toxicity). Your colon therapist, following your initial session, can give guidelines about suggested frequency and duration of treatment. If colon hydrotherapy is not an option for you, enemas may be used instead. Though not as thorough as the colonic procedure, they do facilitate colon cleansing.
You can enhance your colon cleansing efforts if you simulate the natural squatting posture when you sit on the toilet to have a bowel movement. This can be done by elevating your feet while seated on the commode, resting them on a special platform called a Life Step™.
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