How are kidney stones treated?...

Stones less than 5 mm in size usually will pass spontaneously, with strong painkillers used to help with the pain of passing them in the urine stream.

The majority of stones greater than 6 mm will require some form of intervention, especially so if the stone is stuck causing obstruction and infection of the urinary tract.

The physician can use a variety of techniques to break up the stone into smaller pieces that can then be passed in the urine, or he might recommend surgery to remove it whole.

There are many herbal remedies that are said to help with the discomfort associated with passing kidney stones, and some homeopathic remedies which claim to minimise the risk of the formation of new stones.