Health - Family - Food

Colon cleansing has been used as a treatment for constipation for thousands of years. A colon cleanse is also known by a number of other terms, with colonic irrigation, colonic hydrotherapy, colon irrigation and entero-lavage all in common usage at the moment.

There is a general agreement among doctors that enema using purified water can be used to treat impacted bowel, that being its only valid use. However, conventional medical opinion puts only a little value in that procedure and many of the patients and their practitioners strongly disagree.

The proponents of the colon cleanse procedure vouch for its benefits. They suggest its use for maintaining good health. The underlying idea is that waste build-up in the large intestine can lead to several intestine and gastronomical diseases. A form of autointoxication, it is believed to be caused by large scale growth of fungi and bacteria in the colon.

Many have claimed that there a specific health benefits from undergoing the procedure. Among these are flatulence, bowel complaints, chronic fatigue syndrome, cramps, arthritis, Candida and skin problems, though many other cures have been cited. The practice is also claimed to reduce the changes of a person contracting bowel cancer, which is a very common disease, if the person receives regular treatments.

The practice is not very well regulated and only a few States in America have laws governing it. The Guild of Colon Hydrotherapists and the International Association of Colon Hydrotherapy have lists of registered members. It is vital that prospective patients ensure that the facilities and equipment or clean and that their practitioner is experienced. Poor training and hygiene can be very dangerous.

A colon cleanse procedure involves a speculum inserted into the rectum through which water at body temperature is injected. Over a gallon of water may be injected depending on the patient. The waste gets cleansed and the practitioner can view it to make certain conclusions. Massaging the patient's abdomen during the process of enema helps dislodge waste. This treatment is everything but painful.

The treatment is quite often, also combined with few other therapies such as acupuncture or reflexology. Some practitioners may add few extra ingredients to the purified water they use, like minerals, salts and even coffee, which they claim to have added health benefits.