Could Your Cure for Kidney Stones be…Roller Coasters?

Could Your Cure for Kidney Stones be…Roller Coasters?

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.”

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