Recently, a Chinese tourist surnamed Wang (surname transliterated) claimed on a Weibo post that he passed a kidney stone after taking three roller coaster rides at Universal Studios Japan, sparking heated discussions on whether it was true.
Mr Wang, who suffers from multiple kidney stones, said he frequently urinated during his Japan trip, leading him to suspect that a kidney stone had dislodged in his ureter.
However, because several clinics turned him away due to the local holiday in Japan on 13 Oct, he decided to stick to his plans and visit Universal Studios.
After going on three rides, including The Flying Dinosaur, Mr Wang went to the restroom to urinate and unexpectedly passed a small black stone.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons for illustration purposes only.
“It was like a small stone mixed in rice. After it was passed, all the symptoms disappeared, and I felt better,” he recalled.
Mr Wang explained that he was prone to getting kidney stones and that a previous physical exam had revealed multiple stones.
As the stones were smaller than 5mm, the doctor advised him to drink plenty of water and jump rope regularly to promote their passage, but he never thought riding roller coasters could help with the stones.
Following the viral post, many netizens quipped that they would ride a roller coaster if they ever need to get rid kidney stones in the future.
However, Dr Li Tian (name transliterated), chief physician of the Urology Department at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, believes Mr Wang’s experience was only a lucky coincidence.
Image courtesy of Reddit for illustration purposes only.
He speculated that the intense vibrations and changes in body position caused by the roller coaster stimulated the smaller stones that had migrated to Mr Wang’s middle and lower ureters.
He then warned other patients against imitating this and advised them to get proper treatment based on the size and location of their stones, citing risks of stone impaction or mucosal scratching.
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Featured image adapted from Nikkei Asia, Reddit.