local health brief

Quackery Harms

Social media outlets like Tik-Tok may be a fun way to learn a new dance step, but the unregulated, unverified nature of the platform’s medical advice may land viewers in the hospital or worse.

The difference can be summed up as deciding who we want to trust—a trained and licensed professional in their field that has invested significant time and effort in their studies—or an internet website with little oversight.

Colon hydrotherapy has been around for a long time, but people discovering it for the first time on social media, where it is currently trending, may not understand what it is or how it works. We have years of waste buildup that has hardened and stuck to the colon wall, especially those dealing with constipation, gas and/or irritable bowel syndrome. It is highly recommended that a new client has three sessions in close succession. On the first, they may not see any noticeable release, but this doesn’t mean it’s not working. Second session goals are to loosen the dried debris and release gas buildup. Waste release is usually seen by the third session.

To maximize its benefits, colon hydrotherapy works best when the client prepares at least 24 hours in advance by drinking half their body weight in ounces of water every day (150 pounds equals 75 ounces of water) and avoid gassy foods 24 hours in advance of the first session.

Constipation is often caused by the lack of fluid in the colon resulting from either not drinking enough water or not eating enough fruits and vegetables daily.

Colon hydrotherapy instructor Donna Brown is the owner of HC Wellness Center and Spa, located at 1308 E. Garrison Blvd., in Gastonia. For appointments, visit www.HCWellnessCenterandSpa.com or call 704-823-1577.