Can you “exercise away” oxalate stones? Can exercise reduce kidney disease? These are important questions if kidney health is on your mind. Many people recommend exercise for oxalate stone pain. However, you may be wondering if exercise can also help to eliminate or prevent oxalate stones and other kidney-related issues. Here’s some information you should know about using exercise to treat oxalate stones.
Can Exercise Help To Get Rid Of Oxalate Stones?
Yes, some urologists actually recommend exercise to help move along the process of naturally passing a oxalate stone. However, it’s important to note that exercise can’t reduce the size or intensity of an oxalate stone.
What Is The Best Exercise For Oxalate Stone Relief?
You don’t want to overdo it when you have oxalate stones. Experts generally recommend trying some light physical activity. A walk, jog, or light cardio workout could be enough to help an oxalate stone start moving through the urinary tract. There’s no need to focus on completing an intense workout. In fact, going “too hard” could deplete you when your body is already in a state of stress due to a painful oxalate stone. Finally, you should only try exercise for oxalate stone relief if you feel up to it. Do not try to exercise if you are already dealing with vomiting, a suspected urinary infection, or debilitating pain. There is no way to “sweat out” an oxalate stone. You should only be using exercise to try to gently coax an oxalate stone out of its position.
How Quickly Will An Oxalate Stone Pain Relief Exercise Work?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for how quickly exercise for oxalate stone pain can work. For an oxalate stone to pass, it must travel from its current location through the urinary pathway before exiting the body via urine. While movement can certainly help a stone along, the stone’s path is ultimately determined by its size, shape, and ability to not get stuck within the urinary tract.
According to the UC Irvine Department of Urology, size is the biggest factor when it comes to determining how long it takes a oxalate stone to pass. Smaller stones tend to pass more quickly. Larger stones can take time even when you’re consistently using oxalate stone pain relief exercise tips. It’s common for a small oxalate stone that’s between 1 millimeter and 5 millimeters in size to pass in eight to 12 days. A large oxalate stone that is larger than 5 millimeters can take an average of 22 days to pass through the body.
Finally, an oxalate stone’s starting point can affect how long it takes for the stone to pass. Stones located closer to the kidneys will take the longest to pass. Stones located closer to the bladder tend to pass sooner.
Exercise Reduces Stone Risk: Light Exercise Tips To Support Kidney Health
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to support kidney health. It can also help to manage conditions such as calcium oxalate stones. Let’s look at the types of exercise that can be beneficial for your kidneys.
How To Reduce Oxalate Stone Pain
The best oxalate stone pain relief exercise is any type of light movement. While walking is often enough to be helpful, everything from jogging to swimming can help a person to feel better. You still have some options for how to reduce oxalate stone pain even if you’re not feeling vibrant enough to exercise now. Here are some tips to use either in place of or in conjunction with oxalate stone pain relief exercise:
- Remain hydrated by drinking six 8 oz glasses of water spread throughout the day.
- Use a heated blanket to soothe swelling or aching caused by a oxalate stone.
- Cut back on salt to prevent bloating that will exacerbate oxalate stone pain.
- Consume high amounts of citrate to try to naturally break down calcium-oxalate crystals.
- Take over-the-counter pain medications.
- See a doctor or urologist to rule out a bladder infection or kidney infection.
Finally, it’s important to take the long view to ensure that you can reduce your risk for developing oxalate stones after your current one has passed. Avoiding high-oxalate foods is one way to decrease risks for oxalate stones. Staying hydrated is also important. Finally, looking out for your overall kidney health is also important. Can exercise reduce kidney disease? Research does show a connection between exercise and reduced risks for kidney disease. One study involving 200,000 adults found that people who exercised the most were 9% less likely to develop kidney disease compared to people who were inactive.