Countless remedies have been tested over the years to treat those painful kidney stones, but there hasn’t been a solution quite like this.
Getting rid of your kidney stones could be as easy as taking a trip to your local amusement park, and buckling into a hair-raising roller coaster. According to a U.S. medical journal, riding a ‘moderate-intensity’ roller coaster could expedite kidney stones passing through your system.
The research was conducted by Michigan State University after hearing a curious case of a patient who easily passed his kidney stones after consecutive rides on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Disney World in Florida. He went three times, passing a stone with each go.
To test the high-speed phenomenon, the scientists created an anatomical replica of a kidney using a 3D printer. They filled it with urine, and three different kidney stones of various sizes. The replica kidney system was that seated on that same Disney World ride, where the scientists found a consistent stone passage rate of 16%. Moving the model to ride in the back seat produced an impressive 63% passage rate.
“Preliminary study findings support the anecdotal evidence that a ride on a moderate-intensity roller coaster could benefit some patients with small kidney stones,” says Dr. David Wartinger, co-author of the study, published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
“Passing a kidney stone before it reaches an obstructive size can prevent surgeries and emergency room visits.”