Colonic Irrigation for Treating Psychological Disorders

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Colonic irrigation, colonic hydrotherapy may be helpful for some medical conditions, but for treatment of addiction, chronic fatigue syndrome and insomnia, there's little proof it's effective.

Before engaging in any complementary medical technique, you should be aware that many of these techniques have not been evaluated in scientific studies. Often, only limited information is available about their safety and effectiveness. Each state and each discipline has its own rules about whether practitioners are required to be professionally licensed. If you plan to visit a practitioner, it is recommended that you choose one who is licensed by a recognized national organization and who abides by the organization's standards. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before starting any new therapeutic technique.

Background

Colonic irrigation, also called colonic hydrotherapy, is a variant of enema treatment, which involves flushing the bowel with water in different quantities, temperatures and pressures. Through a tube inserted via the rectum, water may be introduced alone or with added enzymes, coffee, probiotics or herbs. Treatment sessions usually last about one hour. During a "high colonic," water goes in through one tube in the colon and is removed along with debris through another tube called an obturator.

Colonic irrigation may have been used as early as ancient times in Egypt, China, India and Greece. This practice gained some popularity in 19th century European spas, and it has been used in modern times for general well being and a variety of other conditions.

Theory

Colonic irrigation is proposed to improve mental outlook, modulate the immune system and eliminate toxic substances. Some practitioners suggest that intestinal flora (bacteria that normally live in the intestine) or waste products can affect the entire body's immune system and may therefore be involved with diseases outside of the gastrointestinal tract. It is proposed but unproven that washing away these flora or waste products may have beneficial effects.

There are numerous anecdotes about the benefits of colonic irrigation, although there is limited published scientific research in this area.

Evidence

Scientists have studied colonic irrigation for the following health problems:

Fecal (stool) incontinence
There is early research regarding the use of regular irrigation of the lower part of the colon in people with fecal incontinence. Further study is necessary to determine if benefits are likely to occur in most patients.

Ostomy care
Special types of colonic irrigation may be used in patients with ostomies (surgically created connections between the intestine and the side of the body). This area has been studied scientifically, and use of colonic irrigation in this setting should be conducted only under the strict supervision of a qualified ostomy health care provider.

Colonic spasm (during colonoscopy)
Evidence from some studies has shown that irrigation with warm water during colonoscopy may help reduce the incidence of colonic spasm. Further research is needed.

Surgical uses
Surgeons or other health care practitioners may use colon irrigation before or during some bowel surgeries (for example, colon cancer resection) for purposes such as cleansing or toward improved healing.