Renal Colic

Renal colic is the term often used to describe the pain caused by kidney stones (also called renal stones). In other words, kidney stones cause the pain known as renal colic.

Renal colic is considered one of the most excruciating pains a human being can endure. It's right up there with childbirth, gunshot wounds and broken bones. One medical website described it this way:

"Patients suffering renal colic are easy to identify in the emergency room as they are often found in agony draped over the admitting nurse’s desk."

What Causes Renal Colic? 

Most kidney stones are tiny (although some can also be quite large). When you look at them, you wonder how such a small thing can cause such big pain.

Renal colic usually occurs when a stone formed by a kidney begins to move from the kidney toward the bladder. It starts to pass through the ureter (the tube between the kidney and the bladder) but gets stuck somehow on the way.  As it does, it obstructs the flow of urine from the kidney to the bladder. Pressure builds up in the area and pain begins in the patient's back and side, below the rib cage but above the hip. As the pain grows more severe, it can radiate into the abdomen, and in men, the testicles.

Renal colic can last for hours. It may be accompanied by other symptoms besides pain, including fever, nausea, vomiting, general restlessness and agitation, and blood in the urine (known as hematuria).  

Renal Colic Treatment

In many cases, surgery isn't needed and the stone will pass out of the urinary system on its own (although it can cause maddening pain along the way).

Doctors recommend that the patient drink lots of fluids, which can literally "flush" the stone down the ureter and into the bladder. Once the stone is in the bladder, the discomfort of renal colic usually subsides.

When surgery is necessary, several options are available. The most popular is a non-invasive shock wave technique known as lithotripsy. A sedated or anesthetized patient is exposed to high intensity sound waves which "smash" the stone into smaller pieces and make it easier for the pieces to pass out of the body naturally. The procedure is also known as Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy  or ESWL.

Related: Easing Renal Colic Pain - A Personal Story.  
 

 
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