Colontherapy and laxatives
Both natural and chemical laxatives can irritate the colon wall and destroy both friendly and unfriendly bacteria in the bowel. If laxatives are taken more than periodically, your body may adjust and become dependent on them. Laxatives may interfere with the rest of the digestive system and could cause further problems. Conversely, colontherapy uses water to gently clean the colon, and thus, does not irritate the colon walls. It poses no risk of dependency, and it does not interfere with the rest of the digestive system. Laxatives also participate in the dehydration process in the patient, where the colontherapy improve the hydration status it the patient.
Colontherapy and Enema
An enema (plural enemata or enemas) is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and via the anus.
Colontherapy is a common therapeutic practice. It is worth comparing it with enema, a practice known for hundreds of years:
| Colontherapy | Enema |
|---|---|
| cleanses the entire colon(approx. 1.5 m) | cleanses only the rectum and sigmoid (last portion of the colon) (approx. 10-15 cm) |
| the flow of water through the colon gently stimulates natural peristaltic action to release softened waste | there is no water filtration |
| you are placed in a comfortable position | discomfort |
| abdominal massage techniques are used to stimulate peristalsis | n/a |
| very effective – removes up to 3kg of waste | removes only up to 1kg of waste |
| No mess, no fuss, no odour | uncomfortable, creates odour |
| wonderfully light and empty afterwards | while you will feel lighter, you are also feeling exhausted afterwards |
Enema can be effective when used on an occasional basis, and administered in the right way. But most people don’t do them in the right way.
Another problem with enema is that it doesn’t reach the small intestine, which is actually where a lot of the fecal impaction may reside.
Colontherapy is by far more effective and reduces stagnation and subsequent bacterial development in the colon.