Colon Hydrotherapy FAQ’s

1. How will I feel after the treatment?

Most people report feeling light, clear, calm and nurtured.  Some use words like relief and clarity while others report being able to breathe better or see better.  Each person seems to experience something slightly different, more personalised, depending on their underlying state of health.  The common theme though is a positive feeling of ‘upliftedness’, feeling energised, feeling like a weight has been removed (not just physically).

2. Will it hurt?

Generally there is no pain, perhaps just a few moments of awkwardness as the speculum is inserted but from there, it is mostly agreed that the procedure is a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

3. Will the therapist see me make uncomfortable faces?

Warm filtered water gently flows into the colon and out again taking with it any material it finds on its travels.  There is no straining involved, no pushing and generally, only minimal mild discomfort if any. The water and the abdominal massaging does all the work for you.  Sometimes, it is possible to feel when you are about to release, this may involve a moment of mild discomfort as the material leaves your body but usually there are no ‘pulling of faces’ involved.

4. Will I be able to drive home or go to straight back to work after a colonic?

At the end of your colon hydrotherapy session, there is time for you to use the bathroom to allow any residual water to leave the body.  Sometimes, when you stand up and begin to get dressed or move around, the need to use the bathroom returns.  There are 3 sphincters in the rectum so it is absolutely possible to hold the water in until you are sitting on the toilet, ready to release.  It is possible to drive, walk, catch a train or go back to work approximately 10 minutes after your colonics session.  Often, the need to relieve your bladder is more of a consideration as the day progresses due to the colon absorbing water into the bloodstream during your hydrotherapy session.

5. Will one session be enough?

Having one colonic is the first step towards renewed health and vitality. The number of colonics you need depends on your goals, intestinal health, dietary habits and lifestyle choices. During your initial visit, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, and your therapist will offer feedback and guidance as to how many sessions will be helpful for you.

6. How often should I have a colonic?

Everyone’s needs are different depending on the condition of the colon, lifestyle choices and each individual’s health goals.  During your initial visit, the therapist will discuss your goals with you and a treatment plan can be formed.  We recommend doing an initial series of 3 colonics quite close together to benefit from the increased hydration levels inside the colon, to really get things moving.  Regular clients may have maintenance colonics from once a month to once every three months.  There are many in Sydney, for example, but also all over the world, who have a colonic as often as they have their hair and their nails done, (not necessarily all on the same day though)!

7. Can I have a colonic if I have my period? It is generally advised not to be afraid to have colonics when you have your period, especially if pre-menstrually, you are a little prone to constipation.  Colonics can help to relieve the cramping of menstruation and provide relief from the bloated, heavy feeling associated with your monthly menstrual cycle. 8. Do colonics wash away the friendly bacteria in my colon? A really good colon hydrotherapy session has the ability to wash away everything from the colon, toxins, faeces, bacteria, fungus, parasites, mucoid plaque and undigested food particles.  For many of us, the ratio of good bacteria to bad, which should be somewhere around 85% good to 15% bad has been reversed. Colon hydrotherapy washes out the bad bacteria allowing good bacteria to thrive and proliferate, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria.  This is especially so when supported by dietary changes, consuming probiotics and eating foods that are high in prebiotics.  Prebiotics are defined as a non-digestible food ingredient that stimulates the growth of good bacteria in the colon. The best studied prebiotics are the non-digestible fibers inulin and oligofructose.  These are derived from the roots of chicory and jerusalem artichokes.  Prebiotics stimulate the growth of good bacteria in the colon as they feed on the fiber and proliferate.  One study showed an increase in colonic good bacteria from 20% to 71% after consumption of prebiotics.

The issue with probiotics is that most that are available in yogurt, capsules or drink form are acid loving.  They have developed over many generations within their human hosts, changing and mutating in order to survive the acid levels in the stomach.  Once in the digestive system, they both love acidic conditions and produce acid which changes the conditions in the digestive tract, crowding out the more neutral loving species of friendly, non-acid producing bacterial strains.  Over time, acid levels in the body increase, potentially leading to gut inflammation, intestinal permeability, food intolerances, motility issues, chronic fatigue syndrome and IBS-type issues.

Macedon Ranges and Sunbury Colon Hydrotherapy suggests D-lactate free probiotics, dietary changes and stress management to overcome the problem of high acidity in the body.

The elimination of waste matter form the body should be meticulously taken care of by means of….colon irrigation whenever there is the slightest indication that the eliminative organs are becoming sluggish.  In this eliminative washing out process, do not be misled into the thought that [colon cleansings] are not beneficial.  Also disregard any claims that they cause loss of intestinal flora, as this is not true.  No intestinal flora can exist or flourish when the fecal matter clogs up the glands in the colon that cause the flora to flourish.
Dr. Norman W. Walker, D.Sc.

9. Can I have a colonic if I am pregnant?

During the first and third trimester of pregnancy it is contraindicated to have a colonic.  In the first trimester, the fetus is developing and any pressure from a water filled colon could disrupt the delicate dance of development irreversibly.  It is safer to wait until the crucial stages of brain development are complete at around 12 weeks.

During the final trimester of pregnancy, again, colonics are contraindicated as there is limited space in the abdominal cavity, the colon is already displaced and filling it with water during this time may cause damage.

10. How soon after the birth of my child can I have a colonic?

Wait at least 6 weeks to heal and recover from childbirth before having a colonic. You can have a colonic while you are nursing. If you are coming in because of constipation, a colonic is much better than a laxative. You don’t want your baby to feel the effects of a laxative, and everything you consume orally will pass through the breast milk.

11. If I have too many colonics, will my colon become dependent and stop functioning on its own?

A full colon is unable to contract efficiently, this means that the muscles involved in moving faeces toward the rectum are sluggish, slow and unable to perform to their full capacity.  Removing the fullness in the colon restores muscular activity, allowing the contractions to be more efficient, more dramatic and stronger.  Colonics have a toning effect on the colon, they stimulate the colon muscles and remind them how to work.  Physically, colonics are not habit forming.  Your body will not become reliant on them to eliminate.

12. What can I eat afterwards?

Many people find their colonic treatment to be the perfect way to begin a cleansing program or to embark on a better dietary program.  The more you work towards eliminating refined and processed foods, chemicals, preservatives and food additives, the more your system will respond.  Eating light, easy to digest meals after your colonic will help to prolong feelings of lightness and wellbeing.

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done”.
Thomas Jefferson

13. Are colonics helpful during a detox?

The nature of a detox is to eat less often, eat lighter foods or forgo food altogether and opt for freshly squeezed juices or smoothies and to drink more water.  This all has the cumulative effect of minimising the burden on the digestive system but if the inside of the colon is caked with toxic material or the colon is full and hardly moving, none of the benefits of your detoxification is really going to make much difference.

Generally speaking, colonics are a vital part of a detoxification process.  A series of colonics before the detox begins, serves to empty the colon, re-hydrate the large intestine, improve bowel function and remove mucoid plaque from the inside of the colon wall.

Once the bowel is in a clean and well-functioning state, the next step is to continue to have colonics treatments during the detox.  The act of chewing begins the process of peristalsis in the digestive tract.  This pushes digested food and wastes through the digestive tract.  During a juice or smoothie detox, there is less chewing taking place and therefore, less movement of waste through the body.  This is a devastating result as far as detoxification of the body is concerned – the introduction of cleansing foods and the reduction of digestive requirements frees the body to be able to focus its attention on cleaning the blood and the cells.  But both of those processes rely heavily on a clean, well-functioning colon in order for the body to dump its wastes somewhere where they are not going to be re-absorbed back into the blood circulation.

Colonics are an integral part of the detoxification process

“Health and sickness both have their roots in the colon”.
Dr. N. Walker PhD, D.C., Author of Colon Health