They say that if you’ve never experienced kidney stones before, you’ve never known the true meaning of pain. The pain brought about by kidney stones is so excruciating that some would even swear it was worse than childbirth. Why Do Kidney Stones Hurt So Bad? Kidney stones are crystal formations usually made up of minerals, the most common of which is calcium. The stones begin as sand like particles that can grow to over an inch. Stones that are about a quarter of an inch small will be able to pass through the urinary system without causing much problems. However, as the stones grow bigger, they can get stuck in the ureter or may not be able to leave the kidney without medical intervention. To understand why kidney stones hurt so badly, you’ll first need to understand the urinary system. The urinary system begins with the kidneys. The kidney removes waste products from the fluids in the body and processes them into urine to be removed from the body. Urine will flow down small tubes called the ureters. The ureters are about 25-30cm long and 3-4mm in diameter. The ureters are not flexible but they do have muscles that can produce spasms. After passing the ureters, urine will be accumulated in the bladder until such time it is removed from the body. There are three reasons why kidney stones hurt so badly. The first is because the stones may try to travel through the ureters causing blockages along the way. …

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