open up your EMUNCTORIES!

Some notes from Emunctorology:

   Emunctories describes organ systems or ducts with the physiological function

   that involves draining or removing waste materials from the body.  

    An emunctory, most simply, is a “route of elimination”.

            Illness can result from inefficient removal of wastes. 
Emunctorology is the study of the emunctories, their functional 
relationships, the role they play in relation to other aspects of 
physiology and illness in the human body, and the means by 
which to accomplish the stimulation of the elimination of waste 
or toxic substances in health and disease.

            Primary emunctories: skin, lungs, kidneys, and the bowel.
Secondary emunctories:the stomach, liver, pancreas, skin, spleen, 
lymphatic system, mucosal surfaces, sinuses and prostate
When the primary emunctories are not functioning optimally, 
the body will attempt to compensate and use the secondary emunctories. 
These secondary emunctories are not as efficient at elimination as this 
is not the primary function of these organs or tissues.
Consequently, when the primary emunctories are not functioning optimally, 
the secondary emunctories may also become perturbed and respond with 
a generalized inflammation.


Illness is viewed as part of the process of detoxification, where the 
emunctories are challenged. Once this occurs we are likely to see a 
significant activation of emunction.  Mucus production, cough, possibly 
bowel disturbances, diarrhea, etc., even fever, all are an activation of the 
process of toxin elimination
So how can you open up your emuctories?
Naturopathic Doctors have many different therapies to assist your body, such 
as drainage therapies, like UNDA numbers and BTG's- basic treatment 
guidelines. According to Dr. Thom, every person should be doing BTG's 
daily, 365 days a year, to give their emuctories a workout and keep 
them functioning optimally.
Some example of the BTG's are: deep breathing (lungs),
dry skin brushing (skin), and castor oil packs (liver).

Definitions:


Emunction is proper physiology working well to process, filter, and 
eliminate toxins and waste products.

Detoxification, by contrast, is an external force imposed on the body 
to drive out impurities.

           Emunction is a passive process, a natural result of optimized function 
while detoxification is an active process of eliminating perceived contamination.

Drainage is the stimulation of internal organ systems to eliminate 
wastes products in order for them to be eliminated by the emunctories.