THERE IS MORE TO COLONIC HYDROTHERAPY THAN MEETS THE EYES
You may think that Colonic Irrigation is just a way to purge. It has its place and it may be useful for constipation, managing the side effects of medications or simply giving relief to a lazy bowel, but there is so much more to it than that!
A Colonic Hydrotherapy Treatment works on the physical level and does provide relief from accumulated waste, poisons and hormones, but it also works on the nervous system and provides a unique balancing effect on that which controls healing and homeostasis (the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system). Research on the vagus nerve (the main portion of the parasympathetic nervous system) is only just starting to demonstrate how powerfully potent its stimulation is to healing. It provides direct access to our subconscious and is often deregulated when we are faced with deep trauma. A lot of studies on trauma work have shown the necessity to reconnect with the parasympathetic in order to unlock the trauma we hold in our muscles and tissues. This may explain how colonic hydrotherapy can sometimes stimulate powerful emotional reactions and often brings a sense of profound wellness.
Aside from the physical effect from the water on the nervous system and the purging outcome, a colonic therapist also actively participates in the manipulation of viscera and abdominal tissues to help realign,relax and soften the tendons and ligaments that maintain organs in place. Abdominal tension, poor posture and poor breathing technique all conspire to reduce function of the organ and of the gut in particular. To work on the tissues, re-educate breathing and facilitate core stability is also part of an experienced colonic therapist's skills.
A Colonic Irrigation is also a unique and gentle tool to assess a number of useful markers of bowel health such as:
- Bowel Function (hyper-mobile; hypo-mobile; spastic). The way the bowel responds to the introduction of warm water at very low pressure can give accurate clues on bowel movements
- Stool consistency (dry, pellet, soft, mush, etc.). Stool consistency is a direct product of hydration levels and diet quality
- Gut flora (from visible gas, undigested foods and fat content). Gut microbes are responsible for more than 50% of our digestion
- Chewing habits. It is not rare to observe whole mushrooms or whole vitamin tablets passing through during a colonic irrigation
All those observations give useful clues to a professional and experienced therapist for a more individualised approach to diet and lifestyle.
The Colonic Therapists at the Whole Health Centre are all trained to the highest standards.
Anne-Lise Miller at The Institute of Professional Colon Hydrotherapy (IPCH) also offers professional training for therapists
