Natural Remedy for Kidney Stone Removal

The pain of passing a kidney stone can sometimes be enough to send you to the emergency room. Traditional treatment can include pain medicine, lots of fluids, lithotripsy (breaking up the stone with sound waves) and surgery. Effective home remedies do exist. Since they are less expensive than hospital visits and prescription medications, you may want to see if they work for you.

Kidney Stone Basics

• Kidney stones are formed as deposits of either uric acid or calcium that build up until they resemble a stone. Most people pass kidney stones without realizing it because they are so small. When they are too large to pass easily through the urinary tract, they cause blockage and pain. Drinking plenty of liquids, especially water, is generally considered a good preventive measure. Keeping yourself well hydrated helps to prevent the buildup of uric acid in the system, and can keep your urinary tract cleared out so deposits don't get too large. Bacterial infections are another cause of kidney stones. Drinking unsweetened cranberry juice, one cup every day, can keep your urinary tract in an acidic state that prevents bacterial growth.

Good Universal Remedy

• An effective remedy that has been used successfully by many kidney stone sufferers is a simple drink made of ingredients you can find either at home or at your local grocery store. Mix 1/4 cup of unsweetened lemon juice with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Drink this down quickly, and follow with a large glass of purified water. After the initial dose, drink a couple of tbsp. of lemon juice in water every two or three hours through the day. The citric acid in the lemon juice dissolves the kidney stone and the olive oil lubricates your system to ease the stone's passage.

Other Options

• Uva ursi is an herb that has been used since ancient times for urinary tract infections and kidney stones. It is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, helping you keep your urinary tract toned and healthy so you can expel stones quickly, and even prevent stones from forming. You can find this supplement in capsule and tea form at your local pharmacy or health food store.

  Horsetail tea can be a useful tool in urinary health. It is a diuretic, promoting the passage of urine to help you move stones along quickly. This herb is also available over the counter, traditionally in powdered form for tea, but also in standardized dose capsules. Be careful when using diuretic herbs. Drink plenty of water, and only use them as needed. Long-term use of diuretics can cause you to be low on some vitamins.

What to Avoid

• Calcium-rich foods like dark green leafy vegetables and low-fat dairy products are good for you and should be included in your daily diet. However, if your kidney stones tend to be mainly calcium (your doctor can determine this by examining stones you have passed) you will want to avoid overeating these foods. Calcium is necessary for your health, but do not take calcium supplements if you can eat calcium-rich foods instead. Calcium from food sources are better quality and more easily absorbed.