Researchers have found that a ride on a rollercoaster can do more than just thrill – it can also be effective in helping riders to pass kidney stones.
Dr David Wartinger, a urology professor emeritus at Michigan State University, decided that a scientific study of the effect was warranted after a patient who had ridden Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park in Florida three times reported passing kidney stones after each ride.
Wartinger and Marc Mitchell, a urologist at the Doctors Clinic, created a model of a kidney complete with stones and tested it at Walt Disney World, Florida. After riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 20 times Wartinger and Mitchell discovered that riding rollercoasters can indeed help patients who have kidney stones that are five millimeters or less in diameter, reports the Sacramento Bee.
Their findings were published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
The effect was most pronounced when riding in the rear carriages with a 64 percent chance of the kidney stones moving. Riding in the less vigorous front carriage only resulted in a 17 percent chance of the stones being passed.
Dislodging small kidney stones before they become a much bigger problem can save the cost and pain of hospital treatment.
Maybe next time you visit your doctor they will prescribe a visit to a theme park.
Image: Disney
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article178910346.html
