Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy Treatment
Post ESWL Positioning (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy)
ESWL treatment breaks your kidney stones into particles ranging in size from dust
to small pieces of gravel. Most of these fragments pass out of your kidney with
the normal flow of urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Occasionally some of
these small particles settle in the lower pole (drainage area) of the kidney and
do not pass into the bladder and out of your body. If these particles remain in
kidney there is a chance that they will form into stones again. In order to help
these particles pass we have developed the following procedure which you should
follow twice a day:
- Drink two 8 ounce glasses of water.
- Wait 30 minutes.
- Place one end of an ironing board (or other similar
board) on a chair or stool 12-18 inches from the floor. Let the other end rest
on the floor so that you now have a 30-45 degree inclined plane to lie on.
- Lie on this board, head down, on your stomach for 30
minutes.
- Lie on this board, head down, with your affected
kidney up for 30 minutes
- After getting up drink another 8 ounce glass of water.
- Whenever possible sleep or rest with the affected kidney up.
These steps should be followed twice a day alternating 4 and 5.
While you are laying on the board you may have-someone gently pound or vibrate
the area over your kidney. This will help to loosen the stone particles. You
should notice an increase in the amount of gravel in your urine after following
this procedure.
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