A NEW study has confirmed that sex is linked to kidney stones, and doctors have confirmed that there is a "pleasurable" way to pass them.
The study was conducted to determine if sexual acts, including masturbation, helped pass kidney stones more easily.
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While any people turn to water, apple cider vinegar, or even sound wave therapy to help dissolve kidney stones.
But a new study claims that sexual activities may actually be more beneficial than you'd think.
The study, entitled "Pleasurable ways to spontaneously expulse distal ureteral stones," was recently published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
A team of urologists at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya, Indonesia led the study, examining the effects of orgasms and ejaculation.
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They reviewed five different studies that involved over 400 participants to come to their conclusion.
Participants were given instructions to either have sex or masturbate three to four times each week, or to refrain from doing either activity.
They discovered that bladder neck contraction and relaxation was connected to both orgasms and ejaculation, as well as the passing of kidney stones.
Doctors discovered that relaxation of the muscles helps pass urine - and kidney stones - through the urethra.
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Among the group of participants who were sexually active, the expulsion rate of kidney stones was higher than the control group.
The study also revealed that those who were regularly engaging in sexual activity were less likely to require pain relief medication if they did have kidney stones.
Oftentimes when kidney stones are too large to pass, a procedure is required to break them up.
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However, the study showed that the number of people who needed such a procedure plummeted by 20%.
As a result, doctors found that engaging in sexual activities including masturbation three to four times per week is beneficial.
