Traditional Hydrotherapy

from Hydrothermic Remedies...

Treatment:

For Atonic Colon (most common):-

• Small cool tap water Enema from a bulb syringe - hold 1min Make cooler every day.
• Fomentations and Cold Towel Rub to abdomen
• Massage for Constipation
• Cold Sitz Bath 24°C 5min daily just before bowel movement
• Alternate Sitz
• Abdominal Heating Compress
• Therapeutic Diet with lots of fibre
• Drink plenty of water
• Regular outdoor exercise
• Deep breathing exercises

For Spastic Colon:-

• Small Lukewarm or Warm Enema from bulb syringe
• Hot Compress to abdomen
• Hot Tub Bath 42°C 15min

from Dr JH Kellogg's Prescriptions...

General Method:

Study each case and find the cause then treat

Most Common Methods:

• Graduated Enema 21°C, or Coloclyster daily
• cold Abdominal Douche Fan Douche or broken jet 20 sec
• Wet Girdle
• Massage for Constipation
• Cold Rubbing Sitz
• Regular bowel movements
• Low fat, high fibre Aseptic Diet
• If necessary carefully Graduated Tonic Cold
• Laxative diet and Cold Water Drinking

Problems and Commonest Causes:

• Indigestion
• Decreased Peristalsis
• Inactive Intestinal Glands
• Faecal Accumulation (often from Dilated Colon)
• Dilated Colon
• Weak Abdominal Muscles
• Enteroptosis
• Haemorrhoids
• Rectal Pain or Abdominal Pain
• Rectal Spasm
• Insensitive Rectum
• Congestive Headache

Contra-indications:

• Sweating Treatments
• Overuse of Fomentations
• Overuse of Warm Enema (if used should be Tonic at end 18-24°C)

from Dr JH Kellogg's Hydriatic Techniques...

Problems:

• Abdominal Pain
• Decreased Peristalsis
• Debility
• Rectal Spasm
• Visceral Congestion
• Visceral Irritation

Treatments:

• Dana's Areas 2 and 12
• Fruit Diet

Fluxion - if caused by Visceral Anaemias

• cold Lumbar Douche
• Cold Rubbing Sitz

Tonic Peristaltic in chronic cases

• Cold Enema
• short cold Enteric Douche
• cold Caliper Douche
• Alternate Douche to lumbar and abdominal areas
• Tonic Shallow Bath with cold pours over abdomen
• Cold Sitz Bath
• Abdominal Heating Compress

If due to Enteroptosis or Dilated Colon

• cold Abdominal Douche
• very cold Perineal Douche
• Wet Girdle
• Abdominal Heating Compress
• cold spinal Percussion Douche if due to Reflex Irritations

Due to Decreased Peristalsis in loss of normal nerve sensibility

• cold Anal Douche
• Alternate Rectal Lavage
• any of the cold douches above followed by - Percussion

Due to dry faeces - cold Coloclyster

from Dr GK Abbott's Prescriptions...

see Dyspepsia

Problems:

• Toxaemic Headache

In:

• Splanchnic Neurasthenia

Two types of chronic constipation:

1. spastic constipation
2. atonic constipation

usually there is a mixture of the two - find the predominant especially in determining the type of massage used

In all cases:

• Aseptic Diet - no eating between meals - no unusual amounts of fibre
• Sleep - regular time for rising and going to bed
• Exercise - at least 30min daily - to slight perspiration
• Fluids - at least 2 litres a day
• Toilet visit after each meal - stay up to 15min if needed, without straining. Ignore calls to stool at other times.

No laxative allowed but if no BM for 3 days :

• small warm Enema at end of usual toilet visit

Atonic constipation - often due to habitual use of enemas:

• Peristaltic - especially Alternate Sitz, Revulsive Sitz
• Wet Girdle at night
• Special abdominal massage and vibration

Daily

• Hot Foot Bath combined with:
• Fomentations to abdomen or
• Spinal Alternate Applications or
• Scotch Compress to abdomen

finished with

• Cold Mitten Friction
• general simultaneous hot and cold Spray
• Salt Glow and Spray in more vigorous patients and Cold Rubbing Sitz 27°C, 5min
• Alternate Douche (fan) to abdomen and (percussion) to lower spine with Sinusoidal Current - stabile electrode on lower spine, labile over colon
• Graduated Enema in milder cases
• Alternate Rectal Irrigation

Spastic constipation - high-strung, nervous patients

• high calorie, high vitamin, semi-smooth diet with brewers yeast 4grams
• Breakfast in bed
• Bed rest 2-3pm daily
• Hydrotherapy:
  • Fomentations to feet and abdomen
    • Soap Shampoo then warm to neutral Spray
    • Centripetal Peripheral Rub
  • Fomentations to feet and spine
    • Alcohol Sponge
    • Massage to spine and extremities
  • Hot Foot Bath and Electric Light Bath 8min
    • Spray
    • Centripetal Peripheral Rub each evening just before retiring:
  • small warm saline Enema followed by v.small oil retention
    • Enema with Hot Foot Bath and abdominal Fomentations and Alcohol Sponge
• Breathing exercises and mild gym. daily
• 30mls of mineral oil every night
• If no BM after morning toilet visit - hot flaxseed Enema
• Encourage relaxation, courage and optimism