Poor elimination, whether overactive as in diarrhoea or underactive as in constipation, can not only feel unpleasant but can also lead to and contribute to other problems. Colonics, along with other measures such as diet and supplementation, can help to re-educate the bowel to begin to behave in a more normal and effective manner. By gently introducing water into the bowel, we can exercise the bowel muscle, helping it work better by itself.

Many people unknowingly develop diverticula, a bulging of the wall of the bowel. These pockets can accumulate waste matter that is then difficult to pass naturally.This waste then sits in the bowel, putrefying. Some people can then go on to develop diverticulitis, an inflammation of the diverticula. Colonics can help by cleansing the bowel of this old waste matter.

When people have a very slow bowel transit or constipation, the waste matter sits in the bowel for longer than normal, and this can lead to a buildup of unwanted bacteria, which can cause the person to feel unwell and may be the cause of flatulence. By cleansing the bowel and ridding it of old faeces, we can reduce the toxic buildup and again begin to re-educate the bowel.

There are many myths and controversies related to colonics irrigation, and I shall go through them individually. However, as with any treatment, you are trusting the person who is doing it; you must make sure that the person has been adequately trained and is competent to not only deliver a treatment but is also able to understand other issues you as an individual may have and how to deal with them and your aftercare. A.R.C.H. members are only accepted at the postgraduate level, examined by an independent external examiner after a highly intensive training course, and supported by mentors post-qualification. They are also subject to premises inspections to ensure standards are kept high.

a) Bowel perforation: There are no known cases of this in the UK. The bowel is not subjected to yards and yards of piping; it is only the speculum that is inserted into the rectum by about 5 cm. The water is then gently introduced into the bowel at a pressure of less than 50 mmHg, which is half the pressure of a normal bowel contraction during mass peristalsis, so the water pressure is not able to perforate the bowel alone. The practitioner must, however, assess the patient, as there could be other medical contra-indications that would mean that the treatment is not appropriate for that person.

b) Depletion of electrolytes: Dr. Milo Siewert studied a client who had many (hundreds) treatments over a few years and checked their blood electrolyte levels, which were found to be normal. Other published studies have also broadly confirmed this.

c) Cross-Infection: Training does not only involve the mechanics of doing a treatment but also the appropriate hygiene necessary for a treatment. The speculum and tubing are all single-use disposable items, and other elements of the process, such as the clean water tubing and water container, are all disinfected under COSCH regulations.

d) Water intoxication: This means that the normal electrolyte balance has been diluted down to unsafe limits in the body, which could then become harmful to the person.

In colonic irrigation, we introduce large amounts of water into the bowel and then release it again, along with any waste products. The bowel is a naturally fluid-absorbing organ; this is what it does: it absorbs water from our faeces in order to produce a solid stool that we can then eliminate. In theory, it is possible for the bowel to absorb enough water to do this; however, if the person's renal function is normal, then this has not been known to happen.

e) Elevation of BP: Before a treatment, it is important to take a full medical history, and blood pressure should be part of this information gathering. If the BP is too high or too low, then the treatment should not be done. However, what is interesting is that, particularly in the case of constipation, BP should be reduced after a treatment as the constipation is eased.

f) Depletion of bowel flora - Our good bowel flora are embedded in the bowel wall not floating about in the lumen so flushing with water is not going to clean them out completely. It is believed that bowel flora can reproduce to their previous levels with 48 hours, this is especially true if the after care encourages an improved diet and/or probiotic supplementation and possibly a probiotic implant at the end of treatment. You may still be thinking but I shouldn’t have a treatment where I need to replenish my bacteria, but every time you have antibiotics you kill off your good bacteria along with the bad ! By cleansing the bowel we are actually giving the bacteria a better more healthy environment
for them to live and thrive in.

g) Unnecessary/unnatural - What is unnatural in my opinion is today’s junk food diets leading to obesity and disease, our dislike of exercise and our willingness to let doctors feed us with pharmaceuticals and chop bit’s of when the doctor decides they can no longer do anything to help. People shout about prevention being better than the cure but they are often not acting on that advice.

When you are an embryo the first things to be made are the brain and spinal cord, after that comes the bowel ! From this organ small protrusions are formed and each one is made into a leg an arm a lung a kidney etc., each organ being surrounded by what was originally bowel tissue. You can see then how someone may experience catarrh or asthma which is then relieved following a colonic as that area of the bowel is cleansed, so is the corresponding organ (see diagram and refer to history of colonic irrigation re Dr. Lane) The balance of risk versus benefit should apply and in this case the benefits greatly out weigh the risks.

In years gone by when people ate a healthy diet when hungry and not when the clock say’s they are, we got plenty of exercise and we went to the toilet when the urge took us not when we felt it was more convenient or appropriate then we probably wouldn’t need to have colonics, however in the real world we have an epidemic of constipation and over use of laxatives, so I say it is absolutely necessary.

No, it’s not a painful treatment; the water can have a very soothing effect by relaxing the bowel muscles, especially in cases of irritable bowel syndrome, and the feeling of relief and lightness after a cleanse can make the person feel full of energy and euphoric. During the treatment, you may feel a sensation similar to that when you need to go to the toilet and push. This pressure is quickly released.

If it is your first time, then probably no amount of reassurance is going to tell you otherwise. As patients, we will all have bits of our bodies we don’t want anyone to see or just fret that our bits aren’t like other people's or that our “poo” will look and smell like no one else on this earth! Well, what can I say other than that, as a practitioner, I too was once a first-timer, and I had all the insecurities that you may be feeling. So let me explain exactly what will happen. You will be asked to remove your clothing from below the waist (men can leave their underpants on), and you will be shown into a private changing area where you will change and cover yourself around the waist with a towel.

Once you are on the couch, you will have an examination of your abdomen done so we can help determine where the problems are. You will then be asked to roll onto your left side with your knees raised while the nurse performs a quick and painless rectal examination. This is important to establish that there are no contra-indications to you having the treatment, i.e., having the speculum inserted. Once the speculum is in, we can attach the tubing and begin introducing the water. The nurse will hold the tubing during the treatment to ensure your comfort and prevent the speculum from coming out. Your comfort and dignity are of great importance to us, and we will do our utmost to make you feel safe, secure, and as relaxed as possible. Remember that you are in control at all times, and if you feel that you need to stop the treatment, just say so, and we will.

If you have never had a treatment before, then we will sit down and go through the health questionnaire first of all, and you can ask any questions you may have. Once the treatment begins, it will usually last for between 30 and 45 minutes. Once you have changed and been to the toilet, we will talk about how you found the treatment and what aftercare and advice you may need. All in all, we may take up to 1 1/2 hours. The following treatments will be shorter as we will already have your medical history, so you should allocate approximately 1 hour.

After the treatment has finished, you will go get changed and probably need to use the toilet. Some residual water may be left in the bowel, which can be passed normally. I have not heard of anyone “leaking” afterwards, but if you are concerned, we can supply you with a pad to go home with. As the bowel has been cleared of waste matter, it may take a day or so before you feel the need to move your bowels; however, some people will go as normal or even on the same day.

You may need to urinate more frequently following the treatment as the bowel will have absorbed water, which is then filtered out through the kidneys. You do not usually feel any discomfort afterwards, but in some severe cases of IBS, you may experience some slight cramping as the bowel overreacts.

It may help to rest and use a hot water bottle. Drinking warm liquids, especially aniseed, chamomile, fennel, liquorice, and peppermint teas, will help to ease the cramps. You will be advised on what changes you can make to improve the function of your bowel if required and given an aftercare sheet to advise you on diet, etc. after the colonic. If you experience any problems or need to speak to us, you can call us at 07966350391.

This can only be answered on an individual basis; for some people, it may not be necessary until they feel they are in need of one again; for others, it may be necessary within a couple of days.

There is no problem with this at all; you can have a tampa during the treatment, but please let the nurse know. It is better to use tampons during a colonic as they expand in a way that does not hinder the treatment. Lil-ets can expand and press into the rectum in some people, which may be more uncomfortable and can be felt by the practitioner whilst doing the examination. Sanitary products can be made available to you if you require them.