What is Colon Hydrotherapy (A Colonic)?
The practice of Colon Hydrotherapy is the introduction of warm, filtered and temperature regulated water in the colon (the large intestine), where the waste is softened and loosened resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis. This is repeated several times during the session.
Why?
At Professional Lymphatic Therapy, we believe that gut health is paramount, so by adding Colon Hydrotherapy (Colonics) to our menu of services, we can enhance the overall health, healing and well-being of our clients. Many of our clients come to us with a complicated myriad of health concerns, and most of them have some type of imbalance in their gut; they describe their digestion as ‘not good’. In other words, waste is not leaving their bodies in a consistent, healthy manner. We can help! Laura is proud to announce that she is now a Certified Colon Hydrotherapist and will be offering colonics in our Pinellas Park location beginning January 2024.
Who needs one?
In an ideal world, we should be moving our bowels every day and at best, up to three times/day. Remember, the colon’s function is to absorb any remaining fluid from the stool and prepare the waste to leave the body. When we don’t eliminate on a regular basis, the waste remains in the body (constipation), and can cause additional gas, bloating, discomfort, and it can even become impacted – and there are consequences when the body is holding on to waste, debris and toxins in the stool. If you have trouble evacuating your colon on a daily basis, you may benefit from colonic treatments.
What causes constipation?
The Standard American Diet (SAD), sedentary lifestyles and off-the-chart stress levels can directly affect your ability to eliminate properly. (It’s a mistake for us to overlook the affect that stress has on our health, and it should be considered when making health-related decisions.) Some people are resistant to laxatives, but also, injuries, surgeries, medications, and food allergies/sensitivities (even ‘healthy food’) can have an impact on our GI tract. Generally speaking, if you’re eating well, getting enough exercise and plenty of restful sleep, you should be able to eliminate with ease, but not always.
What is the Gravity Method?
There are many types of colonic treatments and various devices available – both open and closed systems. I’ve experienced five +/- different types of colonics over the past 25 years, and once I experienced a Gravity Method colonic, I realized it was the easiest, most comfortable colonic I had ever received. So, in our facility, we chose the Gravity Method, which is considered a closed system. The water tank is precisely 24” above the table, which allows for a perfect 2.5 psi of water flow into the colon. I like this because there is no mechanism forcing water pressure into your colon. Heaven!
What is the procedure?
A colonic treatment should be gentle, easy and comfortable for the client and should last 30 - 45 minutes. Your therapist will explain the treatment before it begins so that you have a complete understanding of the procedure. Keep in mind that your treatment room is meticulously disinfected in between clients.
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After a thorough health history has been completed, you’ll be asked to disrobe, in private, from the waist down and to get comfortable on the table; you’ll be properly draped according to Florida State law.
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The therapist will ask you to lay on your left side before gently inserting a disposable speculum into your rectum. Then, you’ll be alerted before the slow, gentle flow of water begins. Only a few ounces of water at a time enters your colon; we monitor that carefully.
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The waste is easily moved through the hose and directly into the plumbing, so there is no odor or debris on the table.
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Slow, deep breaths will assist your body’s peristalsis (the rhythmic movement of your colon as it moves waste through the colon).
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Unlike other colonic methods, such as ‘open systems’, our therapist administers this procedure and is with you during the entire session (except for dressing & undressing). So, you and the therapist will be communicating throughout the session to ensure your comfort while you check-in with your body.
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At the conclusion of the treatment, your therapist will gently remove the speculum.
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You’ll get off the table and step into our private bathroom to allow your bowel to release any remaining fluid/waste.
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Once you’re dressed, you and the therapist will discuss the treatment and make appropriate recommendations.
How many do I need?
That depends. If you’ve had colonics before, you probably know what your ‘normal’ is. Quarterly? Monthly? Weekly? If you’ve never had a colonic – and depending on what your health history reveals – you may need 3-5+ sessions to ‘wake up’ your colon and get it functioning properly. Keep in mind that your lifestyle habits may need to shift for these treatments to be successful over the long term.
Contraindications:
A contraindication is any indication or symptom that makes it inadvisable to use a particular therapy. Absolute contraindications prohibit treatment altogether. For example, colon hydrotherapy is absolutely contraindicated for patients with pronounced rectal bleeding. Relative contraindications involve a risk/benefit ratio. In the case of colon cancer, colon hydrotherapy's ability to eliminate poisonous toxins is evaluated against possibly weakening the already-compromised colon walls, in which case, a physician's prescription is required before treatments will be provided at our facility.
If you have any of the conditions listed in the left column, colon hydrotherapy is NOT advised. Once they have subsided or been eliminated, colon therapy may be indicated, and you can feel free to book your appointment at that time. The conditions listed in the right column should accompany a physician’s prescription before being treated in our office.
