Ayurvedic treatment for Kidney Stone/ Renal Stone/ Urolithiasis:

Synonyms:
Renal stone, Kidney stone, Renal calculi, Calculus, Urolithiasis, Mutrashmari (Ayurvedic terminology)

Introduction:
A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline mineral material formed within the kidney or urinary tract. Kidney stones form when there is a decrease in urine volume and/or an excess of stone-forming substances in the urine. Dietary and hereditary factors are also related to stone formation.

Pathophysiology of the formation of renal stone:
According to the Sushruta (School of Ayurvedic surgery), aggravated ‘Vata’ enters into the ‘Mutravaha srotas’ (Urinary system) and dries out excess ‘Kapha’ and ‘Pitta’ situated there. This results in the formation of ‘Mutrashmari’ (Renal stone/ Renal calculi). When aggravated ‘Vata’ splits this stone in minute fractions, it is called ‘Sharkara’ (Crystals).

Symptoms:
According to Charaka(School of Ayurvedic medicine), there may be the sudden colic type of pain in the flanks/abdomen and genital organs. Severe perspiration and vomiting may be present. A low-grade fever is rarely present if there is a secondary infection. When the ‘Ashmari’ (Stone) looks like the flower of Kadamb tree, stony, smooth or hard comes in the urinary passage, it obstructs the flow of urine and thus causes pain in the bladder. Urine is passed in divided streams and with pain in the perineal region, penis and sometimes passes urine and stool. In some patients, there is a pain in the flank with burning micturition and blood in the urine, if the ‘Ashmari’ (Stone/Calculi) causes an ulcer in the urinary tract.

Specific features:
Vataja Ashmari: The pain is excruciating. This develops when the stone moves from one place to other. Otherwise, pain is absent. During the acute attack, the patient is restless and may pass urine frequently drip by drip which is blackish and may also contain blood.
Pittaja Ashmari: This causing burning sensation in the bladder and the color of urine is yellowish red.
Kaphaja Ashmari: This also causes pain but it is not so severe as in Vanaja type. The color of urine is whitish.  A patient is feeling of heaviness in the flank or bladder region. Sometimes he also may feel of stiffness in the same region.
Mutra Sharkara: There are very tiny fragments of Ashmari and mostly these are passed out from the urine easily. It can cause irritation in the urinary tract. If it obstructs the passage then it may cause dysuria.

Prognosis:
The patient who has multiple renal stones and has swelling around umbilicus as well as in scrotum and has urinary retention with severe pain will die in short time.

Ayurvedic treatment for Urolithiasis:

Mainly the treatment of Kidney stone is of two types.
1) Surgical treatment:
अक्रियायां ध्रुवो मृत्यु: क्रियायां संशयो भवेत्।
तस्मदाप्रुच्ह्य  कर्तव्यमिश्वरम्  साधुकरिणा।।  (Su. Chi. 7/29)
As per Ayurveda, ‘Shastra-Chikitsa’ (Surgical Treatment) is carried out only for the diseases, which cannot be cured by medicines and only surgery remain the last option to save the patient’s lifespan and it should be done only after obtaining the consent of the well-wishers of the patient.
If the stone is too big (greater than 11 mm) and of course if it is obstructed urine flow then it should be removed by surgical treatment.
2) Medical /Conservative treatment:
Snehana (Internal or External oleation), Sweden(Fomentation) mainly Avgaha Sweda (Sitz bath), Vamana (Medicated emesis), Virechana (Purgation) and Basti (Medicated enema)- these are the Ayurvedic purification procedures should be carried out for breaking the kidney stones and their elimination.

Herbs of choices are Dashmoola kwath,  Punarnava kwath, Pashanbheda kwath, Gokshura kwath and Trina panchmoola kwath. The patient should be advised to take water boiled with barley. (Take around 50 gms. Of barley and crush it roughly, then mix it in around a liter of water and then boiled it for sometimes then filter the water and use it for drinking whole time). A patient should advise taking sitz bath of warm water in a bathtub as it is reducing the pain of renal stone immediately.  A patient should drink at least one and a half liter of water every day. Barley water, tender coconut water is more useful to flush out the kidney and Ureter.

Consuming Kallithea, Green gram, Old rice and wheat, Yavakshara, Juice of Kushmanda and Vegetables prepared from the leaves of ‘Varuna’ and ‘Punarnava’ are very useful. One should follow the Ayurvedic lifestyle (given on the homepage of this website) in daily routine.

Patient of Kidney stone should avoid consumption of all dairy products especially hard cheese, curd and sweets made of condensed milk; eating vegetables containing more minerals, getting exposed to heating, working in dry places, overexertion, drinking of heavy water and withholding physical urges particularly of urine, stool, and semen.

famous Ayurvedic formulations for Kidney stone/ Urolithiasis:
Some of the famous Ayurvedic formulations for crushing the kidney stone and eliminating it are given below. Even these herbal Ayurvedic formulations have the power to stop its recurrence.

• Kwath (Decoctions): Varunadi kwath, Ashmarihar kwath, Punarnavashtak kwath, Gokshuradi kwath, Trina panchmoola kwath.
• Vati(Tablets): Chandraprabha vati, Gokshuradi guggulu, Punarnavadi guggulu, Cap. Renolith (Pink health pharma), Tab. Neeri (AIMIL pharma), Tab. Calcury (Charak pharma)
• Churna (Powders): Yavkshara, Shweta parpati
• Medicated Grita: Pashanbheda grita, Varuna grita
• Medicated Wine: Punarnavasava, Chandanasava