If you do have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, symptoms such as constipation and bloating are probably nothing new to you. But the number of times you go to the toilet in a day, and symptoms such as constipation, may actually have a more sinister effect on your health than you might think…

Sluggish Colon : How Often Do YOU Go?

Going to the toilet is something we usually take for granted and pay very little attention to. But unless you’re going for a bowel movement after each main meal (say 2-3 times a day), you may well have a ‘sluggish colon’! In fact, in this era of poor diet, high stress, and pollution, most people are believed to have this problem…

… and it seems that Fibromyalgia sufferers are no exception.

"They think it’s normal to have a bowel movement once every few days. I often startle my clients with the question, if you eat 3 meals daily but only eliminate once a day or once every other day, where do you think the rest of that food is hiding?"

-- Nutritionist Leslie Duncan [ref 44] --

Autointoxication : Self-Poisoning ...

Your colon’s job is to get rid of the waste and toxins in your body. So the longer you don’t have a bowel movement, the longer the waste and toxins just sit in your body, festering. Over time, this ‘toxic waste’ builds up in your colon, and if it’s there for long enough, it can even start re-entering your blood stream…

...effectively poisoning you.

This is called autointoxication, auto meaning ‘self’ and intoxication meaning ‘poisoning’. Autointoxication is known to cause symptoms such as*:

general loss of energy
depression
poor circulation
brain fog [ref 45]
unrefreshing sleep [ref 45]
headaches [ref 45]
and general loss of health

* List of symptoms not exhaustive.

The theory of autointoxication was widely discussed in the early 1900s. Since then there has also emerged another theory, this time involving immune system dysfunction:

"(…) there is extensive modern literature linking arthritis to digestive system disorders, particularly inflammatory disorders [ref 46]. The modern explanation involves immune system dysfunction, rather than autointoxication. Bowel dysfunction is also found in fibromyalgia syndrome, which has much in common with the “toxic” manifestations treated by colonics in the 1920s and 1930s [ref 47]. Alba et al. (2001) even discuss several cases of arthritis as a rare manifestation of acute sigmoid diverticulitis. They found that the arthritis promptly improved after surgical resection of the sigmoid colon. (…) Could colonic irrigation provide a less invasive treatment?"

-- Douglas G. Richards, Ph.D., Meridian Institute [ref 45] --

The Colon : A Major Factor In Your Health?

The theory seems to be that, once your body has been flushed of its toxins and waste (via colon hydrotherapy), your body can then start to use its resources to heal, repair, and defend itself from illness instead.

There are some renown medics out there who actually insist that most health-related problems stem from an unhealthy colon!

"After concluding a 25 year study of over 5,000 cases, every physician should realize that intestinal toxins are the most important primary and contributing causes of many disorders and health problems of the human body."

-- Dr. Anthony Badzier, Professor of Gastroenterology, New York [ref 44] --

So does this mean that looking after your colon may help to ease your Fibromyalgia symptoms? Hmmm….

How Do You Look After Your Colon Then?

There are different ways to look after your colon. Supplements such as soluble fiber and probiotics for example, are said to help (always check with your doctor before taking any supplements).

Another option is to remove the deadly toxins and waste in your colon via colonic hydrotherapy ...

... also known as colon cleansing / colon cleanse, colonic, or colon irrigation .

Does Colonic Hydrotherapy Really Help Fibromyalgia? Is Colonic Hydrotherapy Safe For Fibromyalgia?

Many colonic hydrotherapists seem to list Fibromyalgia as one of the illnesses that colonic hydrotherapy can help.

But!!!!

At the time of writing this, I have not (yet) come across any specific studies that show that colonic hydrotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for Fibromyalgia.

So while colon cleansing / colonic hydrotherapy may have some advantages, it’s worth bearing in mind that this may not necessarily apply to those who have Fibromyalgia.

Colon hydrotherapy is not for everyone. There are certain groups of people who should not have colon hydrotherapy treatments. So it’s always safer to check with your doctor before undergoing colonic hydrotherapy.

What Is Colon Hydrotherapy?

Colon hydrotherapists argue that in today’s world of junk food, pollution and stress, many people are likely to have a life-time of toxic waste build-up in their colon.

This toxic waste festers away in your colon, poisoning your body. So your body has to spend some of its precious resources on fighting this harmful, toxic waste build-up - resources that might otherwise be used to heal and repair your body, and to defend your body from illness.

Colon hydrotherapy is claimed to be a natural way to flush out the waste and toxins that have built-up in your colon since you were born. Colon hydrotherapy involves a gentle, continual flow of water into your colon. This is done by a qualified colon hydrotherapist, who controls the water pressure and temperature throughout your colon hydrotherapy session.

So how does colonic hydrotherapy differ from an enema?

"Colonics are distinguished from enemas in that (1) they are not self-administered, but instead are administered by a person with some professional training, and (2) they are administered using some type of device to control the water flow. Their purpose is to infuse the entire colon with water, in contrast to the more limited infusion of water in an enema."

-- Douglas G. Richards, Ph.D., Meridian Institute [ref 45] --

Why Should You Consider Colon Hydrotherapy?

Colon hydrotherapy has been said to improve the immune system as well as energy levels. [ref 44]

"The mouth is cleaner than the rectum, and yet it is the mouth that I clean with a toothbrush, with paste, and even flossing. Why clean the clean end?

(…) Patients have told me how their health, their malaise, their fatigue, their abdominal distention, their chronic bowel disturbances, and their dermatitis cleared up through the use of colonics.

(…) washing the lining of the bowel is just as sensible as maintaining cleanliness in other parts of ourselves and, in the modern living environment, there is a tendency for the accumulation of toxins, increased constipation, increased concentration of the residue in the bowel because of a shortage of roughage in the diet; thus cleaning and irrigation is an advantage."

-- Thomas Dorman, M. D., Colon Cleansing [ref 48] --

These all seem to be sound reasons for having colon hydrotherapy, but there still seems to be a distinct lack of substantial research into the effectiveness of colon hydrotherapy. In particular, studies testing how effective colon hydrotherapy is in treating Fibromyalgia symptoms would be very interesting.

So What's The Verdict On Colon Hydrotherapy For Fibromyalgia?

Well, let's stick to what we do know...

If you have Fibromyalgia (or indeed ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) then you are likely to be highly sensitive to anything you put into or take out of your body. So it’s always better to thoroughly check out any therapy, treatment or supplements you’re thinking of taking. The last thing any Fibromyalgia sufferer wants to do is to undergo a therapy that might not be suitable for them, and/or that might make their Fibromyalgia worse.

So it’s always best to talk to your doctor about colon hydrotherapy and how it might affect you as a Fibromyalgia sufferer, and to maybe even do a little research into colon hydrotherapy yourself before you decide on whether to have it or not.

It’s also worth asking around at your local Fibromyalgia support group or contacting your national Fibromyalgia association, to see if anyone has had any experiences with colon hydrotherapy.

If you are a Fibromyalgia sufferer who has had colon hydrotherapy, why not share your experiences and your views on whether it helped you here...

Next, get your FREE copy of the popular Sleeydust Ezine...

Back to main Fibromyalgia section ...

Category: Fibromyalgia : Fibromyalgia colon hydrotherapy , colonic , colonic irrigation , colon cleansing

Common misspellings of fibromyalgia : fibro myalga, fibro mialga, fibro maligia, fibro mailgia, fibro mayaglia, fibro milagia, fibro myealgeia, fibro myalja, fibro myalgea

www.sleepydust.net

www.sleepydust.info

Web