I flew to America! A report on my colon cleansing experience | Rohto Pharmaceutical: Product Information Site

Intestinal Health and Constipation Seminar

If your intestines are dirty, "just wash them with water!"

This health method, based on simple and straightforward principles, is apparently very popular in Europe and America.
It's called colon hydrotherapy (bowel cleansing therapy). It's said to be good not only for chronic constipation and diarrhea, but also for skin beauty.
Colon cleansing therapy is a health treatment that involves introducing water into the anus to flush out accumulated stool and toxins from the intestines. While not yet widespread in Japan, it is rapidly gaining popularity in Europe and the United States as a beauty and health treatment.

What exactly are they doing? A journalist who has suffered from chronic constipation for years flew to America to experience its true value.

"Colon cleansing therapy" is spreading in the United States

A report on the cleaning experience at leading clinics across the United States.

Created by the Nikkei Health editorial department based on interviews with experts.

To learn about the situation overseas, I first visited the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy in San Antonio, Texas.

Executive Director Dick Honinger explains, "While most people who undergo colon cleansing suffer from chronic constipation or diarrhea, recently we've seen an increase in people who want to improve their skin."

-Reporter (36)

I've suffered from constipation since childhood. At its worst, I'd go almost a week without a bowel movement, get headaches, and develop skin irritation around my mouth. So I decided to give it a try.

Next to the association office was a treatment center called the Mind Body Naturopathic Institute. The room I was led to had a huge pink, chamber pot-like device. I lay down on the device, straddling the drain in the center, and inserted a tube less than 1 cm in diameter, which protruded above the drain, into my anus. Water enters through here, and the excreted water falls into the drain (see diagram below). I took off all my clothes and changed into a long-hemmed T-shirt provided.

Open type

This system, in which the water supply tube and drainage channel are separate, is called the "open type."
Since you push to defecate by yourself, just like using a toilet, it's easy for people who aren't used to it.

- Rose Taylor

Rose Taylor, a certified colon hydrotherapist, smiles as she hands over the petroleum jelly and says, "Once you've inserted the tube into your bottom, please call me on the intercom."

-Reporter (36)

"What? I have to plug it in myself?" I hesitated for a moment, but it was too late.
Unlike doctors and nurses, colon hydrotherapists are not permitted to perform medical procedures that involve inserting or puncturing objects into the body. They are strictly assistants. This country is very strict about this division of responsibilities.
Gathering my courage, I applied petroleum jelly to the tube and inserted it into my anus. It turned out to be no big deal. Tiller returned and switched on the device. Hot water flowed in, and my stomach gradually began to swell.

Rose Taylor sets up the equipment. She pumps water into the tank from a shelf on the right.

The tube inserted into the anus is disposable. A new one must be opened and used each time.

Mr. Tiller begins massaging my stomach. I gradually feel the urge to go, but lying down and "defecating" feels very strange, and it's hard to go. But that's where the professional's skill comes in. With "encouragement" like, "See, it's getting better, just a little more," I surrender myself to the massage,
The first one came out with a bang.

Once it starts flowing, it just keeps coming. The drainpipe through which the waste flows is a transparent tube. Moreover, it's lit up, so you can see the contents clearly. You can even see the leftover salad scraps from the day before.
The water temperature fluctuates between 96°F (35°C) and 106°F (41°C) at intervals of a few minutes. It's a cycle of feeling cool and then warm again. "When it's cold, the intestines contract, and when it's warm, they relax. This cycle is repeated to stimulate peristalsis."

Finally, mix beneficial lactic acid bacteria into the water you're going to inject. That's it. It takes about 40 minutes. I feel refreshed.

My final stop was Allred Technique, Inc. in the suburbs of Los Angeles. There, I met Connie Allred, a veteran therapist with 40 years of experience in the field.

- Connie Auled

"First, touch your arms, legs, abdomen, etc., to find 'cold spots' (areas with low surface temperature)."
"That gives us a pretty good idea of the state of that person's intestines," says O'Red. It's a technique similar to the acupuncture points used in traditional Eastern medicine.

-Reporter (36)

(Left) This is the massage machine. You press the cylindrical head, which vibrates finely, against your stomach.
(Right) The device itself is compact. A drainpipe runs through the window in the center. Illuminated waste flows through it.

The doctor's diagnosis was, "Your toes and fingertips are cold. Your bowel movements have slowed down due to stress."

The device here is compact, but the tube you insert is quite thick. This is because one tube is used for both infusion and drainage. You have to insert it yourself. Following Mr. Oured's instructions, I took deep breaths and pushed it in as I exhaled. It wouldn't go in at first, but after a few tries, once I relaxed my body, it went in easily.

Closed type

This system uses a single tube for both water supply and drainage. Because the waste is not exposed to the outside air, it is called a "closed type."
While it prevents odors and sounds from leaking outside, it's difficult to push on your own, so some getting used to is required.

Insert this tube. The pointed end is designed to be pulled out from the back later.

Connie O'Red sets up the device. An absorbent sheet is placed near the waist of the bed.

The hot water fills my stomach, and it starts to feel full. But there's a strange tension in doing it on a regular bed. I'm worried that if I strain too hard, the tube will come out. I can't seem to relax.

Then the massage began. It was incredibly soothing, as they knew exactly where to press. I could finally relax. Next came the massage machine. This was also very effective. Soon after, I began to defecate. It must have been about 20 minutes. Suddenly, I felt a bubbling sensation around the side of my solar plexus. The inside of the transparent drainage tube turned completely black.

"This is pretty old."
"So this is impacted stool," said Aulid.
Forty minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The next morning, prompted by the urge to go to the toilet, a long, thin stool with an intensely foul odor came out in a gush. Perhaps my bowel movements had improved a little. My stomach was flat.

I felt incredibly refreshed.

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