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Systematic review examines TCM and Western medicine enema therapies for urinary calculiReview examines traditional Chinese and Western medicine enemas for urinary stones

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Key Takeaway
Note: Systematic review describes TCM/Western enema for stones but reports no clinical results or safety data.

This systematic review examines the mechanisms, clinical applications, and safety considerations of enema therapy utilizing traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine for urinary calculi. The review aims to combine TCM and Western medicine approaches, but the specific population, sample size, study setting, and comparator groups are not reported. No primary or secondary outcomes, follow-up duration, or specific clinical results are detailed in the provided abstract.

No safety or tolerability data, including adverse events, serious adverse events, or discontinuation rates, are reported. The review's limitations are not specified, and funding sources or potential conflicts of interest are not disclosed. The authors state the study aims to provide clinicians with insights to optimize treatment strategies and promote further development of this therapy.

Given the absence of reported clinical efficacy data, safety information, and methodological details, this review primarily serves as a descriptive overview of a non-conventional therapeutic approach. Clinicians should interpret these findings with caution and recognize the need for robust clinical evidence before considering application in practice.

Researchers conducted a systematic review to examine a specific treatment approach for urinary stones (kidney or bladder stones). They looked at studies about enema therapies that combine traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine. An enema is a liquid treatment given through the rectum. The goal was to understand the mechanisms behind these treatments, how they are used in clinics, and what safety considerations exist.

The review did not include specific details about who participated in the original studies, how many people were involved, or what the direct results were. The abstract also did not report any safety data, such as side effects or how well people tolerated the treatments. This means we don't know if the treatments caused any harm or discomfort.

It's important to understand that this paper is a review of existing research, not a new clinical trial. The authors stated their goal was to give doctors insights to help develop treatment strategies. However, because no specific results or safety information was shared in the abstract, this review represents a very early look at the topic. Readers should know that this approach is not standard or widely used in conventional medicine for urinary stones at this time.

What this means for you:
Early review describes a combined enema therapy for stones; no results on effectiveness or safety are provided.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedApr 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Urinary calculi are a prevalent condition within the urinary system, with treatment options ranging from traditional surgical and non-invasive methods to emerging alternative therapies. Recently, enema therapy utilizing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine has gained attention as a non-conventional approach, offering unique advantages in managing urinary stones. Unlike conventional oral or surgical treatments, enema therapy enables direct colonic drug delivery, reduces systemic adverse effects, and may modulate gut microbiota and oxalate metabolism, thereby providing a novel mechanistic basis for stone prevention and expulsion. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms, clinical applications, and safety considerations of TCM and Western medicine enema therapies. For the first time, we systematically integrate traditional theoretical frameworks with modern biomedical evidence, including microbiota-mediated oxalate degradation and detailed clinical operation parameters, to highlight the complementary and synergistic effects of combined TCM–Western medicine enemas. By analyzing both their individual and combined effects, this study aims to furnish clinicians with valuable insights to optimize treatment strategies and promote further development of enema therapy for urinary calculi.
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