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The colon is an essential part of the digestive track. Aside from aiding in the digestion of food, it also eliminates waste products. However, with several tempting foods in the market, it's so easy to go out of the healthy diet. Poor diet results in constipation and other gastrointestinal problems. When the colon is clogged up with accumulated feces, it fails to do its job properly.

In fact, an unhealthy colon could poison all other organs. If feces is not removed in the body within twenty four hours, it gets deposited in the colon walls. This would release harmful toxins and poisonous gases. The blood would then get polluted, which would eventually infect the organs it runs through.

An ancient practice for cleaning the colon of these toxic wastes is colon hydrotherapy. Some may call it colonic irrigation or simply colon therapy. Basically, it is the process of injecting safely determined amounts of water at defined intervals. The whole treatment may take awhile depending on the severity of colon problems.

Colon hydrotherapy is similar to enema. Enema is also a treatment for cleansing the colon. Their only difference is that colon hydrotherapy is much more extensive. Whereas enema only cleanses the lower portion, colon hydrotherapy aims to clean the entire colon, which is roughly five feet in length.

Enema has been around for several centuries already. However, complete cleansing of the colon has gained prominence only in the late 19th century. This started with the popularity of the idea of autointoxication. It has been suggested that the body could poison itself by the release of toxins from accumulated fecal matter in the colon into the blood stream.

During colon hydrotherapy, a patient is asked to lie on his side or back. The therapist will then insert a soft plastic tube into the patient's rectum. A measured amount of filtered water is then pumped into the colon. Depending on the practitioner, the water may also contain *purifying* substances such as herbs and natural enzymes.

The colon hydro therapist may start gently massaging the patient's abdomen to aid in releasing fecal deposits in the intestinal walls. When done, the water would then be vacuumed back using the same tube and out into a closed waste container. The whole process is done gently and there are no mess or any foul odor during and after the treatment.

With several repetitions of this process, the whole treatment may take up to an hour. The total water used in these numerous treatments is approximately 20 gallons. Almost all of the water pumped in is removed by the end so there's no need to run to the toilet afterward.

Should you decide to give yourself an extensive colon cleaning, you would have to choose your practitioner carefully. The treatment is sensitive, and thus you would have to ensure that the facility and equipment to be used are clean. Usually, all equipments used are disposable and well-sterilized to avoid any infections.

It is to be noted that colon hydrotherapy is considered to be an alternative medical treatment. Some colon hydro therapists voluntarily go through a certification process. There are also several organizations of colon hydro therapists. One example is the International Association of Colon Hydrotherapy or I-ACT in the United States.

For general health checks, getting a colon hydrotherapy once a year should be enough. However, pregnant women in their third trimester should not undergo this treatment. Colon hydrotherapy is also not recommended for those with severe hemorrhoids, abdominal hernia, heart disease, amoebic dysentery, and diverticulitis among other health problems. You would have to discuss your present medical condition first with your colon therapist to make sure there would be no complications.

Currently this alternative medical practice is regulated in some states. Several orthodox medical establishments insist that colon hydrotherapy is just an expensive laxative. It typically costs around $65 to $80 in the United States.

There are no scientifically proven therapeutic claims for colon hydrotherapy, however. In fact, several patients have reported of a much energized and lighter feeling after the treatment. There are also evidences suggesting that colon hydrotherapy helps in treating numerous ailments such as indigestion, headaches, allergies, skin problems and even joint problems.

Complementary treatments to clean the colon include aerobic exercises and a low fat, high fiber, vegetarian diet. Even licensed medical doctors agree that red meat and fatty foods are the major contributors to colon health problems.