History of the Enema
An enema is “a fluid injected into the rectum for the purpose of clearing out the bowel.” The enema has been called “one of the oldest medical procedures still in use today.” Tribal women in Africa, and elsewhere, routinely use it on their children. The earliest medical text in existence, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, (1,500 B.C.) mentions it. The Greeks wrote of the fabled cleanliness of the Egyptians, which included the internal cleansing of their systems through enemas. Enemas were known in ancient Sumeria, Babylonia, India, Greece and China. American Indians independently invented it, using a syringe made of an animal bladder and a hollow leg bone. Pre-Columbian South Americans fashioned latex into the first rubber enema bags and tubes. In fact, there is hardly a region of the world where people did not discover or adapt the enema. Enemas are found in world literature from Shakespeare to Gulliver’s Travels.
It was an acceptable practice in Parisian society to have as many as three or four enemas a day, the belief being that an internal washing or “lavement” was essential to well-being. It was not only considered indispensable for health but practiced for good complexion as well. Louis XIV is said to have taken over 2,000 in his lifetime. For centuries, enemas were a routine home remedy.
John Harvey Kellogg, M.D. reported in the 1917 Journal of American Medicine that in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease, in over 40,000 cases, he used surgery in only 20 cases. The rest were helped as a result of cleansing the bowels, diet, and exercise.
Colon Hydrotherapy gained the attention of James A. Wiltse, M.D., who contended that “our knowledge of the normal and abnormal physiology of the colon, and of its pathology and management, has not kept pace with that of many organs and systems of the body”. He went on to say, “As long as we continue to assume that the colon will take care of itself, just that long will we remain in complete ignorance of perhaps the most important source of ill health in the whole body.”
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Also known as a “colonic”, “colon lavage”, colon irrigation”, or “high colonic”, colonic hydrotherapy is a safe, effective method of removing waste material from the large intestine by repeated, gentle flushing with water. By introducing filtered water into the colon, the waste is softened and loosened resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis. The removal of waste encourages better colon function and elimination.
The colon, or large intestine, is the end portion of the human digestive tract (food carrying passageway extending from the mouth to the anus). 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. Also, there are bacteria living in the colon, which synthesize valuable nutrients such as vitamins “K” and portions of the vitamin “B” complex.
Waste material, dead cellular tissue, accumulated mucous, parasites, and toxic waste can accumulate in a sluggish colon and can impair the colon’s ability to assimilate minerals and bacteria- produced vitamins. A buildup of material on the colon wall can inhibit muscular action causing sluggish bowel movements and constipation.
While the lungs, skin, kidneys and liver also serve to eliminate toxins, people have experienced throughout history that when they ensure that the colon is cleansed and healed, the well being of the whole body is enhanced. Colonics have been found to be a very effective process to accomplish this quickly and easily.
Everything has its proper place, but those things really aren’t substitutes for colon hydrotherapy. Enemas are useful for emptying the rectum (the lowest 8 to 12 inches of the colon). Usually, one or two pints of water are used to do that. Suppositories are intended to accomplish the same task. Laxatives, particularly herbal laxatives, are formulated for a variety of purposes, such as dealing with the effects of constipation and building up the tone of the colon muscles. But the “Rolls Royce” of colon cleansing without question is colonic hydrotherapy.
It rarely is. Usually, painful experiences are the result of resistance and tension. A professional colon therapist is skilled at putting you at ease and minimizing discomfort. Most people actually enjoy the colonic and are especially pleased with the sensation of feeling lighter, cleaner, and clearer afterward.
A session is a comfortable experience for most people, however, if discomfort is experienced, the session can be stopped at any time. Techniques utilized allow a small amount of water to flow into the colon, gently stimulating the colon’s natural peristaltic action to release softened waste. The inflow of a small amount of water is continually repeated over a period of approximately 35 minutes.
You will fully maintain your personal dignity. You will be in a private room with only your therapist coming in and out. Your therapist fully appreciates the sensitivity of the colonic procedure and will help you feel at ease. Your feelings will be acknowledged and honored. After you insert a small tube into your rectum you will completely covered through the entirety of the procedure.
We use the Angel of Water™ which is manufactured with strict compliance to federal guidelines and is state of the art in the industry. Disposable single-use rectal tubes are used on each client as well as clean linen.
You will get more from your colonic if your body is hydrated. Please drink plenty of water in the 3-6 hours before you come in. We also suggest not eating within 2 hours of coming, a snack is OK.
Most likely, you’ll feel great. Most people actually enjoy the colonic and are especially pleased with the sensation of feeling lighter, cleaner, and clearer afterward. It’s also possible you may feel light-headed or chilled for a few moments following or during a colonic. As soon as the colonic is finished you can carry on with daily routine. For some, the colonic may trigger several subsequent bowel movements for the next few hours, but there won’t be any uncontrollable urgency or discomfort.
In a way, the answer 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 colonic machine was developed, providing a significantly improved method of accomplishing colon cleansing. Up to the late 1920’s many doctors had colonic machines 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 love affair with drugs and surgery, which seemed to offer instant relief for body ailments. Purification and prevention techniques became less attractive. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in using natural approaches for healing the body, and colonics have rapidly been regaining the respectability they had earned earlier.
Being an essentially natural process, there is virtually no danger with a colonic. Having said that, there are certain contraindications where a colonic would not be advisable and they are listed at the bottom of this section. Our intent is to provide a safe and healthy service so that you do not have to worry. Cleaning and sterilization of the necessary equipment is done as normal procedure.
The colonic is a tool intended to be used occasionally. Initially a series of colonics may be recommended. A colon therapist, who is dedicated to your health, will educate you on the tools available to create a well-functioning colon and not in making you dependent upon colonics. Many people have sluggish colons and it may take days for bowel movements to return after a good colonic. This is when people think they are becoming “dependent” on colonics. It may take some time for fecal material to build up in the colon once again if one has a sluggish colon.
The most frequent post-colonic experience is to have a slight delay in bowel movements and then a resumption of a somewhat larger, easier to move stool. If the colon is sluggish, there may be no bowel movement for several days following a colonic. However this is not due to the colonic, but rather to the weakness of the colon, and should be interpreted as an indication that the colon requires strengthening and probably more fiber. Very infrequently diarrhea or loose bowels may be experienced. This could be due to the extra water introduced into the colon or to the stirring up of toxic waste. If this should occur, it is usually of very short duration.
Constipation can be successfully managed with natural, harmless techniques, including the use of colonics. Often, however, because the colon has been sluggish for so long, it has become weakened due to being constantly bathed in toxic waste, stretched from holding excessive amount of stools, and frequently, constricted by chronic tension in the colon. The process of colonic hydrotherapy is excellent for cleansing the colon sufficiently so that changes in diet, exercise, and attitude are then able to produce their positive effects. Many people find the relief provided by colonics stimulates the motivation and enthusiasm to institute positive changes in their lifestyle.
Probably 90% of all colonics take about 40 minutes. It could also be shorter or longer than that, depending upon your body. There will also be about 15 minutes required before your first colonic for the therapist to go over your health history and explain the procedure, another 15 minutes should be allowed for changing. On a first colonic you should allow an hour and 30 minutes.
We use filtered water, which passes through two separate filters. The water used is approximately 100 degrees F.
We suggest that you eat at your normal mealtime, and consume a moderate amount of whatever seems gentle and nourishing to you. Just as it doesn’t make sense to have your car cleaned and then immediately drive it through mud, eating a meal known to cause trouble for your digestion directly after a colonic isn’t an intelligent choice.
It will probably never be completely empty, as it is an organ in continuous use. As more of the old material is released you will actually feel the water enter higher regions of the colon without any sense of obstruction. The objective should not be an empty colon, but rather to encourage a better functioning colon.
Your skin “breathes” and is an important organ of elimination. If the colon, liver or kidneys are functioning poorly, the skin will be required to make up the difference. Eruptions on the skin of various sorts may occur due to toxins being released. Cleansing the colon diminishes the burden placed upon the skin and it very often clears up.
Contraindications for use of Colon Hydrotherapy:
- Congestive heart failure
- Severe hemorrhoids
- Abdominal hernia
- Renal insufficiency
- Colon or rectal surgery
- Cirrhosis of liver
- Abdominal surgery
- Intestinal perforation
- Carcinoma of the rectum
- Fissures or fistula
