Treatment is not a taboo (From Gazette Series)

Treatment is not a taboo

ANYBODY whose anybody in Hollywood has had it. In fact anybody whose anybody in celebville will swear by the latest alternative in body therapy made famous by hit reality TV shows The Salon and You Are What You Eat. Despite the taboo that surrounds it, colonic hydrotherapy treatment is on the up with more people benefiting from its cleansing attributes than ever before. Hannah Swingler meets the woman who brought this latest in health therapy to Chipping Sodbury and discovered the truth behind an otherwise unspoken topic.

I MUST admit that when I was asked to write a feature on colonic hydrotherapy my initial instinct was to turn and run.

Images of pipes, strange looking metal pieces and the thought of lots of water whooshing around my intestines quite frankly brought a tear to my eye.

However, after meeting the woman who brought this alternative form of health therapy to Chipping Sodbury my opinion of colonic hydrotherapy has drastically changed.

Katherine Brooke, who is originally from Frampton Cotterell, began her career in alternative therapies three years ago after studying the art of acupuncture in the College of Traditional Acupuncture in Leamington Spa. She then went on to train in colonic hydrotherapy at the National College of Holistic Medicine in Poole, Dorset because as she herself admits she is "fascinated by the subject."

Based in the Bank Chambers Natural Health Clinic in Broad Street the alternative therapist explained how the painless procedure works and the many benefits it possesses.

She said: "Colonic hydrotherapy is an internal bath that helps cleanse the colon of poisons, gas and waste. A build up can literally poison the body as the waste is absorbed back into the bloodstream putting strain on major organs such as the kidneys, liver and lung."

Treatment begins long before the actual procedure and Katherine conducts a thorough consultation with the client beforehand. "Everybody is different," she explains. "For some people it may not be suitable for them to have the procedure and also certain medical conditions have to be taken into account."

A two-week course of herbal pills is then given to the client to prepare the bowel and ensure the treatment is effective.

The therapy itself is not as daunting as one might imagine either. As the name suggests an infusion of water is filtered into the intestine which flushes out built up waste.

Lasting around 45 minutes, it can have a dramatic effect on people's health as, Katherine explained: "The first time I had the treatment I noticed that colours appeared more vibrant and there was more clarity in my vision.

"Another benefit was that my skin tone improved and my husband said I look younger," she added.

As well as an improvement in the clarity of vision clients can experience an increase in sex drive, weight loss and have more energy and it is also believed that the treatment is beneficial to those with emotional and psychological conditions such as depression and lethargy.

"Every time I have the treatment it gets better every time," added Katherine "I would suggest a client should have between two or three sessions to get the full benefits."

For more details or to book an appointment to see Katherine call 01454 320088.