Let us answer this question by first discussing what an enema is. An enema is a simple procedure whereby water is inserted into the rectum in order to remove waste material from the body. Since time immemorial, enemas have been a standard medical treatment and an important home remedy in cultures across the globe. In America, this was true until the 20th century, when the use of antibiotics became widespread. As we became more and more dependent on drugs to kill infections, we stopped removing waste material from our sick bodies in order to relieve our immune systems. Within two or three generations, our society lost its understanding of the relationship of the bowel to overall health. In the U.S. today, most people are familiar with the term, enema, but they have never experienced one themselves or even seen an enema bag.

A colonic is similar to an enema in that it entails delivering water to the body, through the rectum, in order to remove waste material from the colon. The water flushes out only the large intestine (colon), not the small intestine. (Humans have a one-way duct, called the ileocecal valve, leading from the small intestine into the large intestine, and this prevents the reverse movement of water or waste matter back into the small intestine.) You may hear of colonics being referred to as “high enemas,” “colonic irrigation,” or “colon hydrotherapy.” A colonic differs from an enema in the following ways:

• During a colonic, water will go farther into the colon than it can with an enema. An enema usually only treats the sigmoid region of the colon, whereas a colonic can potentially get water all the way around to the ascending colon (near the appendix).
• Enemas are usually done at home, using tap water. Colonics are done at a colon hydrotherapist’s office, using purified and temperature-controlled water.
• Enemas use a small amount of water - usually about a pint. During a colonic, which lasts 40 minutes, many gallons of water will circulate in and out of the colon (in small, manageable increments).
• During a colonic, the client is lying down on a “table.” A self-administered enema is done in a variety of positions.
• With a colonic, the preparation and clean-up is performed by a trained colon hydrotherapist. The client should feel comfortable, even pampered, throughout the session. With a home enema, the patient prepares and cleans up after himself.

Because there are several different kinds of equipment for colon hydrotherapists to choose from, there are some variations in the way a colonic is performed. Here are some of the distinctive features of a colonic at Family Hydrotherapy, LLC.

• We use “open system” devices, which allow the client to retain privacy during the session. This is because open system devices deliver water to the client through one small nozzle, around which the water and waste material will pass when the client expels them. (In contrast, with a “closed system” device, a large — 1"-1 ¼" in diameter — speculum is inserted into the rectum. Through this, the hydrotherapist injects water and removes waste material. Therefore, the constant attendance of a colon hydrotherapist is required.)
• Our nozzle is smaller in diameter than a drinking straw, and only about 1½" of it will enter the rectum.
• The waste material will collect in a basin during the colonic. After the colonic, the client may view the material, if desired.
• There is little-to-no odor during a colonic at our facility, thanks to the built-in odor control system in our devices.

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