Researchers may have discovered a novel way to treat kidney stones.

A simple ride on a roller coaster could help facilitate the passage of small kidney stones, according to a report published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Researchers at Michigan State University conducted a study after a series of patients reported passing kidney stones after riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

In one case, a patient said he passed one kidney stone after each of three consecutive rides on the roller coaster.

According to the study, 63 per cent of patients passed a kidney stone when sitting in the back of a roller coaster, while 16 per cent had success in passing a stone sitting in the front seats of the ride.

Called the ‘roller coaster effect’, Dr David D Wartinger says this is potentially a relatively low-cost, non-invasive treatment that could prevent suffering for hundreds of thousands of patients.

“Preliminary findings support the anecdotal evidence that a ride on a moderate-intensity roller coaster could benefit some patients with small kidney stones,” Dr Wartinger said.