Imagine walking into a theme park with excruciating kidney stone pain and walking out pain-free—all thanks to a roller coaster ride.
Sounds like something out of a medical miracle playbook, right?
Yet, according to a fascinating study, a ride on Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad might just be an unexpected and thrilling treatment for kidney stone sufferers.
But before you rush to book your Disney trip, there’s a catch: where you sit on the ride makes all the difference.
Theme Park Visits and Kidney Stone Relief
Dr. David Wartinger, a professor at Michigan State University, first noticed the connection when several of his patients shared a bizarre yet consistent story: after riding a particular roller coaster, they were able to pass kidney stones with surprising ease.
One patient even claimed that after multiple rides, he successfully passed three stones. This unusual pattern intrigued Wartinger enough to launch a full-fledged scientific investigation.
The Science Behind the Thrill Ride Experiment
To test this unexpected phenomenon, Wartinger partnered with Dr. Marc Mitchell and conducted an experiment using a 3D-printed replica of a human kidney.
They placed real kidney stones of various sizes inside the model and filled it with urine, replicating conditions inside an actual human kidney.
Then, with the kidney in a backpack, they embarked on 20 rides on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The results? Positioning on the ride mattered significantly.
- Passengers in the back row of the roller coaster had a 64% chance of passing the stone during the ride.
- Passengers in the front row had only a 17% chance of dislodging a stone.
Not All Roller Coasters Work
If you’re thinking, Wouldn’t any roller coaster do the trick?, think again. Not all rides are created equal when it comes to kidney stone relief.
Wartinger and his team expanded their study, testing 174 kidney stones of different shapes and sizes on multiple roller coasters.
The surprising result? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the only one that worked.
Rides like Space Mountain and Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster failed to produce similar results.
Why? Wartinger suggests that high-intensity rides with excessive G-force actually pin kidney stones in place, preventing them from moving.
“The ideal roller coaster for kidney stone passage is rough, quick, and full of twists and turns—but not too extreme,” Wartinger explained.
Why Does This Work? The Physics of Kidney Stones on a Coaster
The key to Big Thunder Mountain’s success lies in its unique combination of moderate speed, abrupt turns, and vibrations.
Unlike smoother rides or those with intense loops, this particular roller coaster provides just the right level of motion to dislodge stones from the kidney’s nooks and crannies.
This aligns with a fundamental physics principle: resonance.
The ride’s shaking mimics the natural movements that help kidney stones exit the body—only in a much shorter timeframe.
Think of it as a natural kidney cleanse, but way more fun.
What This Means for Kidney Stone Patients
While this study provides a low-cost, non-invasive potential remedy for kidney stones, doctors caution that more research is needed.
Before this method is officially recommended in clinical settings, trials involving actual patients (rather than artificial kidneys) must confirm the findings.
However, if you’re already at Disney World and dealing with a kidney stone, Wartinger believes it’s worth trying.
“If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the ride’s requirements, this could be an enjoyable and practical option for treatment,” he said.
The Future of Roller Coaster Therapy?
The idea that amusement park rides could serve medical purposes might sound wild, but it’s not as far-fetched as it seems.
Researchers are now looking into how other rides—or even vibrating medical devices—could replicate Big Thunder Mountain’s effects in clinical settings.
In the meantime, for kidney stone sufferers willing to take a chance on a thrilling solution, Disney World might just have a ride that doubles as an unexpected medical marvel.
Final Thoughts
While more research is needed to solidify these findings, this study offers a fun, cost-effective, and completely non-invasive way to potentially ease kidney stone pain.
So next time you’re at a theme park, you might just want to take a ride—not for the adrenaline rush, but for a chance at pain relief.
Just remember: sit in the back!
