Thrill of Passing a Kidney Stone? Roller Coasters May Help: Study

In the near coma-inducing, excruciating pain of trying to pass a kidney stone, heading to an amusement park for a roller coaster ride is likely the last thing on your mind.

It should be one of the first, according to a study from Michigan State University published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association that found that roller coaster rides can shake the hardened mineral deposit loose and help patients pass kidney stones 70 percent of the time.

Dr. David Wartinger, the researcher leading the study, launched it after collecting anecdotal stories from patients who passed kidney stones after riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Walt Disney World, according to a news release.

“I even had one patient say he passed three different stones after riding multiple times,” said Wartinger, a professor emeritus in Michigan State’s Department of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties who led both a pilot and expanded study to assess whether the stories he was hearing were true.

Wartinger tested the theory with a validated, simulated kidney with three kidney stones no larger than 4 millimeters inserted into the replica, which was placed inside a backpack. Twenty rides on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad verified patient reports, the researcher said.

If you’re seeking thrills to pass the kidney stone, head to one of the cars in the rear. Sitting in a back car showed a 64 percent passage rate, while the stones were passed only 16 percent of the time in the first few cars.

The expanded study, conducted with Mark Mitchell, a Michigan State resident at the time, revealed not only a better passage rate — 70 percent when the replica was in one of the back cars of the roller coaster, and 100 percent if the stone was in the kidney’s upper chamber — but another peculiarity:

It has to be a specific kind of roller coaster, like the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

“In all, we used 174 kidney stones of varying shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters,” Wartinger said. “Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked. We tried Space Mountain and Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and both failed.”

The reason? Other roller coasters are too fast and too violent with a G-force that pins the stone into the kidney and doesn’t allow it to pass.

“The ideal coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns, but no upside down or inverted movements,” he said.

It’s estimated that around 300,000 people per year go to an emergency room suffering from kidney stones and the cost for treatment could range anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000.

Lithotripsy, which breaks apart kidney stones that are too large to pass, is a common treatment for the problem. Wartinger said the procedure is usually used in cases where the kidney stone is larger than 5 millimeters.

“The problem, though, is lithotripsy can leave remnants in the kidney which can result in another stone,” Wartinger said. “The best way to potentially eliminate this from happening is to try going on a roller coaster after a treatment when the remnants are still small.”

He added that patients could even try going on a coaster once a year as maintenance, lessening the chances of future issues and minimizing health care costs.

But check with your doctor first, Wartinger advised.

“You need to heed the warnings before going on a roller coaster,” he advised. “If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, patients should try it. It’s definitely a lower-cost alternative to health care.”

Photo of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster by Luis Brizzante via Flickr Commons