There's two ways that a colonic can be done - either mechanised or by gravity and as far as colon hydrotherapists go, it really comes down to cost and preference. As far as the receiver of the colonic is concerned, they might have something different to say!

Therapists using either system should use a full disposable kit, and filter the water supply (UV, particle and carbon three-stage filtering) to ensure your safety.

At Aqua Viva Health, we don't charge extra for the disposable kit and we use a machine-led therapy - ask to see testimonials from happy clients!

The gravity-fed system is a far older method than any mechanised system - indeed colonics have been traced back thousands of years when only much more primitive systems were possible. The equipment setup costs involved with a gravity-fed system are much lower than with a mechanised counterpart.

How does a gravity-fed colonic work? The basic mechanism of the gravity-fed system are as it sounds - it uses gravity to introduce water at a pressure of about 2 PSI (pounds per square inch) to clear out the bowel. A tank of water at a set height on the wall is heated to a pre-set temperature. Water flows from this into the water inlet pipe, which in turn allows the water into your body. The colon hydrotherapist controls fills and the rate of elimination of water and wastes by manually applying pressure to the waste outlet pipe.

The mechanised colon hydrotherapy system is obviously a far newer technology and incurs much higher setup costs. This cost reflects the extra safety mechanisms and safe plumbing into the waste and water supply to meet legal requirements. Therapists that perform colonics with the mechanised system feel there is much greater control over temperature and pressure.

How does a machine-led colonic work? Water is heated to a defined temperature and flows from the machine into the water inlet pipe, which in turn allows the water into your body. The colon hydrotherapist controls fills and the rate of elimination of water and wastes by turning the pressure gauge up and down (normally between 0.8 to 1.5 PSI) according to client needs.

Conclusion? In the hands of an experienced therapist, both systems (gravity and machine) will produce a good result for the client, and in any colonic, the entire process should be client-led not therapist-dictated. Generally speaking however, gentler treatments can be obtained from a machine-based colonic.

Did you know..?
...A normal bowel movement can build pressure of up to about 1.5 PSI just by itself?
...A standard hospital enema starts at about 2PSI?