Colon cleansing in the city
Palmerston North people looking for help to empty their large bowel have a new option with the opening of a colon hydrotherapy business.
Registered nurse Nancy Langlands has opened Inner Ecology, offering a service she believes could improve the health of anyone who tried it.
Langlands said help flushing out the colon was particularly beneficial for people who were constipated, bloated or suffering abdominal discomfort.
But even people who thought they had healthy, regular bowel movements were surprised how much faecal matter built up in their colon, providing an environment for toxins to flourish.
Langlands said many people felt better and saw skin inflammations and other health problems improve after a colon cleansing as it helped the immune system to function well.
‘‘It is extremely safe and effective,’’ she said. ‘‘I am not going to say it is enjoyable, but it is incredibly beneficial.’’
The process involves the use of a $12,000 piece of equipment, which looks like a cross between a bed and a toilet.
Warm, sterile water is poured in gently through a tube inserted into the anus.
People could insert the tube themselves and carry out the procedure privately, with Langlands hands-off and behind a screen. ‘‘I do not insert, or diagnose, or prescribe.
‘‘The first treatment can be quite daunting, so I am just there to support and educate.’’
Midcentral Health head of gastroenterology James Irwin said he did not recommend colonic irrigation. He said he recognised it had become a popular therapy and that some people sought alternative therapies when conventional treatment was not providing effective solutions for them. But there was no medical evidence it had beneficial effects on health, he said.