Kidney Stones Herbal Remedies

General Overview of the Role of Herbs in Preventing and Treating Kidney Stones

General Effects of Herbs

Herbs may supplement the above prevention methods and/or promote recovery from stones that have already formed. Different herbs may help in different ways. Generally speaking, herbs used for kidney stones tend to have one of a number of effects that complement the prevention methods described above.

Just as water and other beverages help cleanse the kidneys by promoting urination, herbs with diuretic effects aid the same function, with the specific effects of aiding urinary water and sodium excretion. Water is more essential than diuretics for keeping the kidneys clean, and use of any diuretic should be supplementary to sufficient water intake. Diuretic herbs may carry potential sides effects of increased risk of potassium loss, water and sodium retention, and high blood pressure, so appropriate measures should be taken to address these issues when using diuretics.

Herbs with antibacterial effects help fight bacteria, which may help counter infection in the urinary system.

Herbs with anti-inflammatory effects help reduce swelling and pain from swelling, which may ease pain from kidney stones. Similarly, herbs with antispasmodic effects help relax muscle spasms, which may reduce pain from the movement of kidney stones and ease their passage. Herbs with demulcent effects have a similar soothing effect on mucous membranes, while herbs with astringent effects shrink inflamed mucous membranes or other tissues and thus help reduce the discharge of fluids.

Herbs with antilithic effects may chemically help discourage stones from forming or help dissolve stones that have already formed.

Some kidney stone remedies combine herbs with several effects in order to fight kidney stones on several fronts. For instance, an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and/or demulcent may be added to a diuretic in order to ease discomfort from passing kidney stones. Likewise an antibacterial may be added to fight infection and support pain-relief effects. Herbs which combat different types of kidney stones are also sometimes combined. It is common to combine Bearberry, Gravel Root, Hydrangea, and Marshmallow Root with each other and/or other herbs. When combining herbs always consider possible interactions. Combining too many diuretics can be hazardous.

One application of herbal combinations is a kidney cleanse, which is a periodic systematic cleansing of accumulated foreign substances from the kidneys. A kidney cleanse involves taking varying doses of a special herbal combination over a period of several weeks, up to twice a year, ideally following a preliminary colon and parasite cleanse. Kidney cleanse programs are reduced in dosage and duration for the elderly, those with cancer, or other special cases.

More specific details on the effects of certain herbs follow in the section on Specific Herbal Remedies for Kidney Stones.

General Directions for Preparation of Herbs

Regarding directions for preparing herbs, active chemicals are typically extracted from herbs by a number of standard methods. This can be done by inhalation, skin contact, or digestion. The directions in the following section focus on digestion methods, but other methods may be described briefly to place these in context.

Methods of extraction involving inhalation include scented tissues, steam, candles, etc.

Methods of extraction involving skin contact include the use of ointments, which are rubbed directly on the skin and adhere to the skin without use of an adhesive aid; poultices, where a bandage is used to hold the herb in place on the skin; compresses, where the bandage has been pretreated by soaking in a liquid extract of the herb; and soaps and baths, where water is used to help dissolve the herb and apply it to the skin.

Methods of chemical extraction involving digestion include pills, capsules, and consumption in liquid form using water or alcohol as a solvent. When water is used, the water may be cold, pre-boiled before application to the herb, or heated with the herb already in it, which leads to a distinction between several methods.

Maceration involves soaking an herb in cold water overnight. This is usually done with very tender or fresh plants or for plants where the desired chemical properties might be lost through heating or alcohol.

Infusion involves soaking an herb in pre-boiled water, like making tea. This is usually done with softer plants or parts of plants, such as leaves.

Decoction involves boiling an herb in water. This is usually done with tougher parts of plants, such as tough roots or bark. For large pieces of bark that need to be broken down, a strong decoction may be used, which can involve increasing boiling time and/or soaking overnight after boiling.

Tinctures involve storing an herb in alcohol for a number of days or weeks. This is usually done when the desired chemicals do not dissolve easily in water, or when a larger quantity of herbal remedy is desired for convenience or long-term storage.

Herbal formulas given here generally follow directions for infusion or decoction. For most herbs other forms of preparation are possible. Information on other preparation methods for a given herb is available from additional resources such as those listed in the bibliography.