Talkin' shit: colon hydrotherapy

 by Valerie Gueco
 published on Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Eric Binns / STATE PRESS MAGAZINE

I put my ass on the line for SPM — literally. A lot of people talk shit, but not enough people talk about their shit.

Bowel movements are an uncomfortable subject to discuss for most people, but not nearly as uncomfortable as being constipated. Analyzing your own poop can be a huge indicator of potential health issues.

An article in "USA Today" published in 1999 reported the discovery of more than 40 pounds of fecal matter impacted into actor John Wayne's colon. Even the "King of Rock 'n Roll" Elvis Presley suffered from constipation and was found dead on a toilet.

Though these two men suffered both tragic and premature deaths, a treatment could have helped with their intestinal problems — colon hydrotherapy.

Certified colon hydrotherapist Rose Lexa owns Advanced Colon Wellness Center. She has performed this procedure on numerous patients for the past five years.

The procedure takes anywhere from half an hour to 45 minutes. A tube the width of a nickel is inserted with Surgilube, a lubricating jelly, two inches into the rectum.

Lexa says she tells patients they should not be intimidated by the size of the tube. "The rectum is eight inches long and there is no stretching of it during the procedure," she says.

The procedure is done in series, where water seeps gently into the colon. The colon is filled up until the patient feels like they are about to pass gass, then the water is released.

Gas and fecal matter are released into the tube, all while the therapist massages the stomach and abdomen to help ease out the unwanted matter.

Colon hydrotherapy should not be confused with a colonic. The difference is in water pressure — colonics involve two pounds of uncontrolled water pressure while colon hydrotherapy involves only half a pound of controlled water pressure.

Colon hydrotherapy is a form of physical therapy for the colon, while colonics are basically enemas.

Some benefits of colon hydrotherapy include weight loss, emotional release, clearer skin, more energy and brain clarity, Lexa says.

"Pregnant women, those who want to get pregnant, have high blood pressure and have recently undergone colon surgery should not undergo colon hydrotherapy," she says.

The cost of a colon hydrotherapy session depends on the place you go. Some places charge anywhere from $65 to $105 for one session.

The most uncomfortable part of the process is the placement of the speculum into the rectum and having a photographer in the room documenting the process.

I am both disgusted and fascinated by what came out of the tube — mostly gas, mucous and bile. But, I feel relieved to have all that crap out of my system and less bloated after.

Weight loss is a typical result of the procedure — I weighed myself after and had lost three pounds.

The next day, I am more energetic and my jeans are looser. I am never uncomfortable while sitting down and I am like a new woman.

A male friend accompanies me to the procedure, only to chicken out at the last minute when it is his turn on the table. Thankfully, I have some "backup" (pun intended), and recreation and tourism management senior Lexi Richter steps up to the plate.

Richter says she isn't fazed by the process. "I was actually more excited than nervous to get colon hydrotherapy done," she says. "I was never uncomfortable at any time."

When describing what she does for a living, Lexa displays a sense of humor amongst all the crap. "I deal with assholes all day and analyze shit," she says.

Reach the reporter at: valerie.gueco@asu.edu.