Herbal Cures for Kidney Stones

Kidney stones---or, to use the medical term, renal calculi---are not only painful but also preventable and treatable. They are crystal-like solids formed in the kidney by dissolved minerals. And while kidney stones don't cause any permanent damage to your body, the prospect of having to pass them can put a crimp in your day, to say the least. Here are a few lifestyle changes you can make, accompanied by helpful herbal remedies. However, because these methods have not been evaluated by the medical community, consult your physician before trying anything drastic.

Nutritional Changes

• No matter which herbal remedy you use, it will be relatively ineffective unless you make changes in your lifestyle. Most important, drink large quantities of water. This helps dilute your urine, which when concentrated is a major breeding ground for the clumping minerals and salts that form kidney stones. Kidney stones may be an indication you're taking in too much calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D, and not enough magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin B-6. Check any supplements you are taking, and scale back or add these vitamins as needed. Also, avoid injesting too much protein or salt, as both can add to the presence of stone-forming chemicals in the urine.

Herbs: Part 1

• One way to stimulate the excretion of stones is to drink an herbal tea made of horsetail. You should sip 1 or 2 cups of the tea while also soaking yourself in a bath infused with horsetail. Try this method 20 minutes at a time on a day-to-day basis. Afterward, wrap yourself in a warm cotton robe and sweat for an hour while lying in bed to help eliminate stones.

  Drinking a tea made of knotgrass and thyme can also be helpful when attacking stones that have already crystallized. Goldenseal tea with carrot juice and a tea made from birch leaves should help break up kidney stones as well. And juices that are rich in stone-fighting ingredients include parsley, dandelion, alfalfa, dill and fennel. Gravel root, seven barks and stone root are herbs that can help treat and prevent kidney stones.

Herbs: Part 2

• Herbal diuretics such as corn silk and bearberry make the passing of kidney stones less painful. In addition, kava kava and crampbark can help ensure that your urinary system is more relaxed and has fewer spasms when trying to pass the stones. Khella is another herb that can relax ureter tissues, ensuring that smaller stones pass through with as much ease as possible.