Siddha Medicine For Kidney Stones ( Siruneeraga Karkal ).

KIDNEY STONES and urinary tract stones are a very common disorder affecting mankind since time immemorial. Prevalence of this stone disease is high among those living in tropical areas. It is evident from the fact that, Egyptian mummies dated back to 4800 BC had stones in their bladder.

In Tamil Siddha Medicine, Kidney stone comes under Neerinai Arukkal Noikal நீரினை அருக்கள் நோய்கள் , ie Diseases that reduce urinary output. Kidney stone is called as Siruneeraga Karkal (சிறுநீரக கற்கள்), Neeradaippu (நீரடைப்பு), Kalladaippu Noi (கல்லடைப்பு), Neererivu (நீரெரிவு), Asamari rogam அசுமரி ரோகம்.

Different Names:

Based on the place of aggregation of small crystals into bigger stones, different names are given,

• சிறுநீரக கற்கள் (Kidney Stones) if the stones occurs in kidneys.

• சிறுநீர்க் குழாய் கற்கள் (Ureteric Stones) if the stones occurs in the ureters.

• சிறுநீர்ப்பை கற்கள் (Bladder Stones) if the stones forms in bladder.

Symptoms of Kidney or urinary stones:

• Fluctuation and excruciating pain in the abdomen, groin and kidney area.

• In many cases urine gets blocked and patient suffer from back pain, neeraidppu.

• Frequent urinary infection and abnormal urine color.

• Chills, fever, nausea and even vomiting.

• Blood from urine.

Factors that causes Kidney Stones:

Yugimuni Siddhar in his consolidated Medical Literature of “VAITHIYA SINTHAAMANI” has explained the factors that causes kidney stones ,

Factors that causes Kidney Stones.

• Due to over indulgence in sex.

• Blood inside kidney may aggregate with other minerals to form stone.

• When the vata and pitta humor deranges.

• A family history of kidney stones

கல்லெலும்பு மயிர்மண்தான் கலந்தன்னத்தில்

அலங்கினதோ ரன்னங்களருந்தலாலும்

அலுகலோடு மூத்தபண்ட மருந்தலாலும்

மலங்கினதோர் மாப்பண்ட மருந்தலாலும்

மந்தத்தில் வாய்வான பதார்த்தந்தன்னை

துலங்கினதோர் ருசிதன்னிற் சுவைத்தலாலும்

சுருக்காய்க் கல்லடைப்புவந்து தோன்றுந்தானே

–யூகிமுனி வைத்திய சிந்தாமணி

Causative Factors.

• Due to drinking of impure water and food.

• digestive problems because of taking expired foods.

• Taking too much of refined food items and sugar.

• Due to consumption of vata vitiating food items

புலத்தியர் கற்பம்-300

கனலதுமீறும் பாக்கு வெற்றிலையும்

கற்சுண்ண மிவையனுபவித்தாற்

கண்டத்திற் கோழை சிலேத் மமுண்டாக்குங்

கடைவாயின் பற்கள் வேரகலும்

புனலும் வேறாகுனந் தனுவெனுங் கோசம்

பொரியு முண்டாக்கும் நீர் கடுக்கம்

புதுமையாய்ச் சுக்கான் கல் கொண்டடைக்கும்

பொல்லாத்தீ பனத்தையு மடைக்கும்

நினைவுவே றாகும் பிணியுணர்ந்தாக்கால்

நிணமெலா முதிர நீராக்கும்

நிகரில்லாப் பேதி யனுதின மிகவும்

Also siddhar pulasthiyar in his “PULASTHIYAR KARPAM-300” has mention that taking raw calcium with betel leaves, which is habit for south Indians will have more calcium absorbed into the system. This leads to Hypercalciuria, where the calcium level is elevated in the urine.

This also indirectly says that consumption of carbonated drinks like pepsi and coke, results in stone formation. When carbonated drinks are consumed, the body turns acidic and to counteract, the phosphates from the bones leave their calcium counterparts, which gets eliminated through urine. The excreted urine has high levels of calcium to form crystals in kidney.

Types of Kidney Stones in Siddha Medicine.

தோன்றினதோர் நாலினுட நாமங்கேளாய்

சுருக்கான வாதத்தின் கல்லடைப்பு

பூன்றியதோர் பித்தத்தின் கல்லடைப்பு

புரண்டதோர் சிலேட்டுமத்தின் கல்லடைப்பு

தீன்றியதோர் தொந்தமாங் கல்லடைப்பு

தேகத்தை பற்றிய சிறிதுகாலம்

தானறியே சலப்பையில் வந்திழிந்து

சருவியே லிங்கத்திற் தரிக்குந்தானே.

In siddha Medicine system, the kidney stones are classified as,

• வாத கல்லடைப்பு

• பித்த கல்லடைப்பு

• சிலேத்தும கல்லடைப்பு

• தொந்த கல்லடைப்பு

In the same way modern medicine has classified types of kidney stones as follows,

• Calcium-Oxalate Kidney Stones.

• Struvite Kidney Stones.

• Uric Acid Kidney Stones.

• Cystine Kidney Stones

Siddha Treatment for kidney Stones.

Tamil Siddha Medicine System offers umpteen no of curative and therapeutic solutions for kidney stones.

Based on the stone characteristics (size, location, composition and hardness), the anatomy of the urinary tract, the past medical history, health of the patient, the siddha physician prefers the best way to treat kidney stones.

According to Siddha Medicine System, an approach of endoscopy or open surgery which falls in Asura Maruthuvam, is considered inferior one.

Deva Vaithiyam or Maruthuvam, which is superior medical approach of curing any disease is followed for dissolving kidney stones and making it to pass in urine.

Initially Poly herbal medicines are prescribed for treating the root cause for kidney stones.

Higher order Internal Siddha Medicines like Chendoorams and Parpams are prescribed for dissolving stones and to take care of secondary issues like infections and diabetes etc.

Tips to prevent kidney stones.

The first step in preventing kidney stones is to refrain from the factors that causes kidney stones.

Diet and Nutrition.

Calcium: not too low and too much.

Adequate calcium in diet reduces risk of stone formation. This happens because calcium binds the ingested oxalate in food. On the contrary, low calcium intake in food everyday causes bone strength loss. Optimal intake of diet calcium is about 1000mg per day.

Fermentation and cooking removes Oxalate’s.

Oxalic acid and Oxalate are present in many plants, particularly in members of the spinach family. Oxalate’s bind to calcium and prevent its absorption in the human body.

High oxalate content in food increases risk of oxalate stones. Nuts like almonds, peanuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, vegetables like spinach, beetroot etc, chocolate, wheat bran (covering of wheat), rice bran etc increase oxalate excretion in urine.

But methods like Fermentation, cooking and soaking overnight removes the oxalate and phytate contents. Nuts can be soaked overnight before eating. When Spinaches like pasalai keerai and tomato is cooked properly the oxalate content is removed.

Reduce Salt or sodium intake.

Higher salt intake increases urine calcium content. Normally we all consume about 30 gm salt per day whereas only 5 to 6gm per day is recommended in diet.

To lengthen the shelf life of the product manufacturers add preservatives, which can take a toll on the health. So, when taking packed or canned food items, people should check labels for ingredients and hidden sodium, such as

• Mono sodium glutamate, or MSG

• Sodium bicarbonate, the chemical name for baking soda

• Baking powder, which contains sodium bicarbonate and other chemicals

• Disodium phosphate

• Sodium alginate

• Sodium nitrate or nitrite

these are the variants of sodium, which needs to be shunned out of dietary plans.

Go for Potassium in daily diet.

Higher potassium intake per day reduces stone formation risk in men and older women but not in younger women. Fruits and vegetables in daily diet increases potassium and reduces oxalate in urine.

Caution: Banana is a good source of magnesium, but avoid the banana which is ripened using calcium carbide stones, which is both carcinogenic and enhances the stone formation.

Go easy on Soft drinks or Soda and take plenty of plain water:

Aerated drinks are acidic in nature which brings mineral metabolic disorders. Cola beverages, in particular, contain phosphoric acid and have been associated with urinary changes that promote kidney stones.

Heavy and regular consumption of soft drinks should be avoided in kidney stone patients.

Cut back on high animal proteins in diet:

Diets heavy on foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates can increase the risk of kidney stones. Higher protein intake (animal meat protein) increases calcium, oxalate and uric acid stone formation. Hence non vegetarian foods should be avoided in kidney stone patients.

Always take enough water after a high meal as dehydration will lead to super saturation of urine, which helps formation of stones in kidney.

Liquid intake:

Increasing the liquid intake to maintain a urine output more than 2 liters per day is associated with significant reduction in recurrence of kidney stones. It also helps in spontaneous clearance of residual stones if they are less than 5 mm size.

These are recommendations for people with normal health. Others who have complications apart from kidney stone disease, will need to consult with their Siddha physicians.