Colonics

I would check with my doc first.  Because of the "twisting", it would be best to have a recommendation from a specialist.

A qualified colon hydrotherapist will also know if such a twisted colon would benefit from this treatment.  As someone who has undergone this treatment many times, I will say that if you get the ok from your doc, you should absolutely do it.  It was the single most helpful and therapuetic treatment I ever had for my very painful IBS.  It is really nothing more than a very deep and thorough enema which will help relieve any impactions you may have due to C. 

Check with the doc first!  Good luck!

Friendlygal,

Here is an explanation of what a colonic is.  The only thing that is inserted is a speculum and it only penetrates the rectum, not the colon. 

http://www.tummytemple.com/about_colonics__hydrotherapy_s.html

Good luck!

I want to preface this post by saying that you should, as a health consumer, research the pros and cons of ANY treatment, conventional or not, and make the most informed decisions you can about what to undergo.  It's so difficult nowadays for a typical layperson to make these decisions because there's so much conflicting information out there.  That's where your friendly medical professionals come in to help.  If you're not getting the time and energy you need from your provider, that's when it's time to write a letter, have a chat, etc. or ultimately change providers if all else fails. 

Note that I did not say this healthcare provider has to be an M.D. or D.O.  There are some brilliant nurse practitioners, naturopaths, etc. who have been infinitely helpful to their patients.  The important thing is that you really trust the person and they have evidence or research that they can explain to you to back their methods up.

Here's a link to a consumer-friendly CNN article from 2000: http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/02/08/colonics.wmd/index.html

I am also a big fan of this site, QuackWatch, which has some interesting tidbits about a serious mishap for one woman who underwent a colonic: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/colonsuit.html

(Their mission statement, FYI: "Quackwatch, Inc., which was a member of Consumer Federation of America from 1973 through 2003, is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors. Our activities include:

• Investigating questionable claims
• Answering inquiries about products and services
• Advising quackery victims
• Distributing reliable publications
• Debunking pseudoscientific claims
• Reporting illegal marketing
• Assisting or generating consumer-protection lawsuits
• Improving the quality of health information on the Internet
• Attacking misleading advertising on the Internet"

I just wanted to point out that both links Sarita provided refer to HOME colonics.  I did not administer a colonic to myself.  I went to a certified and licensed clinic where licensed therapists administered the colonic.  The machinery was all state of the art, inspected and clean. 

I know you can buy these machines for home use but I really can't imagine how one could self-administer.  It would not be something I would do myself.